The Average Werewolf
by Auphora66
Summary: Collin is content with his life as a werewolf, but he's soon going to have to deal with more than he ever imagined! Imprint story. CollinxOC. NOT YOUR AVERAGE STORY! READ PAST CHAPTER 1, PLEASE!
1. Rebirth

**This is my first Fanfic!! Chapter one and other chapters have been rewritten, so this is not the original work. I hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Collin -he belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

"_**The more things change, the more they remain…insane."**_** -Michael Fry and T. Lewis**

**-Collin-**

Headlights flooded through the living room window, causing a chaotic scramble inside the house. It was a little after midnight, and she was home early.

"You're guardian is here, Collin!" Jack yelled to me from across the room, trying to be heard above the blaring music. I pushed through people, rushing over to the stereo and turned the volume knob to the left quickly, killing the music.

"Party's over!" I yelled to my invited and uninvited guests, even though they were all already stumbling to get their stuff. They exited out of the back door as fast as they could, afraid that their parents might be getting a phone call if they were caught. I didn't bother trying to clean up; Jennifer was already unlocking the door. I just sat on the couch, nearly tripping on my way there -I was getting tall and it was making me clumsy, and waited for the yelling to begin.

Jennifer entered the house and gasped when she saw the mess; beer bottles on the table, cans of soda on the floor, half-empty plates scattered about, and a pack of cigarettes on the couch beside me. "Collin!" she cried exasperated. "You promised me that these parties were going to stop!" her grey eyes filled up with a fiery anger. Her mud colored hair had come loose from her ponytail; creating a mess of tangles. Jennifer looked like she was crazy when she didn't brush her hair out.

"Yeah, I know." I shrugged. "I _thought_ I was going to be able to keep it, but I guess not. Sorry Jen."

Jen saw the cigarettes on the couch beside me and snatched them and crumpled the small box. "You're too young to have these and too young to have alcohol (she pointed to the beer on the table)!" she sounded close to hysterics. "They're also bad for you; do you want to die a premature death, Collin?"

I laughed, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Her face hardened, her tone turned to steel, "I don't ever want you to say that again, of course I don't want you to die."

"I know you want me off your back, Jennifer (her full name was usually used in moments like this). I'm not your kid and you only accepted me so you could cash in the checks that my mom sends me." I said smoothly, crossing my arms across my chest.

"That is not true, Collin," she said firmly.

"Then where are my checks for this _and _last month? Huh, Jennifer?"

She left the room, I smiled in satisfaction. Jen then came back with a trash bag. "Clean this up," she ordered.

"Why? I didn't make any of the mess." I leaned back casually against the couch's smooth back-cushion.

"You threw the party."

"I didn't throw it. It threw itself at me."

"Clean!" she barked, throwing the plastic trash bag at me.

"You know what?" I stood up, letting the bag fall to the floor. "Get out of my house, Jennifer. I can do whatever the hell I want. This is my home, not yours. _I _can receive the checks to pay for the bills in the mail along with my allowance and _you_ can go back to _your_ house and go back to your life."

She thought of that option for only a split second before turning into the stubborn adult again, "I'm your Godmother, your _guardian_. As long as your mother is in Europe, it's my job to watch over you."

"Don't make me sick." I scoffed. "You work all day, and then you're dating a different man every night. Even if you _did _actually watch over me, do you think that would change anything? You're not my mom, Jennifer. You don't belong here, and you aren't welcome here. Get out."

"You're only thirteen!" Jennifer protested, her voice sounding desperate.

I banged on the table, effectively shattering the glass top. I didn't feel a thing. "Get out!" I yelled.

Jen's eye's widened in fear and she ran out the door. I smiled, feeling elated at my victory. I knew she was too much of a coward to call my mom and admit that she was scared of a thirteen year old boy, even if that boy was hitting a growth spurt early.

**-Carolyn- (pronounced care-o-lin)**

"Jade, I don't like it when you sneak out of the house." I whispered. Watching my older sister brush out her sleek dark brown hair.

"I have to. I told David that I was going to see him tonight." Jade whispered back. Her emerald green eyes, which contrasted her dark hair, were full of confidence.

"Tell him that you can't anymore."

"I am not going to cancel on him, Carolyn. Now be a good little girl and go back to bed." Jade set down the brush and stood up to look for her shoes.

"You shouldn't be on the streets at night -it's dangerous."

"He's going to be picking me up." Jade replied coolly, lifting a shirt off the floor, finding the location of her shoes.

"He knows where we live?!" I gasped. What other kinds of personal information did she give out? Mom had always told us to be careful with things like that.

"Duh. How else is he going to pick me up?" Jade rolled her eyes as if I was being absurd.

"Jade, how long have you known him?"

"A few weeks, Carolyn. Chill out." Jade slipped on her shoes.

"Jade, please let's just go to bed."

"I already told you Carolyn, I am _not_ going to cancel on him. Besides, he should be here in a few minutes." Jade stood up and began to check herself out in the mirror.

"He could hurt you."

"David's not going to hurt me. I'm sixteen years old, I'm a big girl and I can handle myself." Jade ruffled her hair and straightened her skirt.

"You're only two years older than me."

"That's two years of life experience that you don't have. It makes a hell of a difference," she pointed out, turning to me.

"Then let me come with you."

"There is no way in hell that I'm going to bring my little sister on a date." Jade snorted.

"It's a date?"

"Yes, you innocent child. A date. That means that there are going to be things that you shouldn't see."

"You've only known him for a few weeks! What are you planning on doing?"

"Things that you don't want to know about."

"I'm thirteen, not three."

"Go to bed, Carolyn."

I gasped in realization, "Oh man, Jade. That is so wrong, on so many levels. You're still in high school, what if you get...you know?"

"I'm not an idiot. Now. Go. To. Bed." Jade hissed, getting frustrated.

Before I could reply, I heard a car door shut. I dashed over to the window; there was a guy with blonde hair and pale skin walking from his car to our house. Even from a distance, I cold tell he was extremely handsome. I turned around to tell Jade what I thought of David, but Jade was out of the room. A light came through the window, casting my shadow onto the blue carpet. I spun back around and saw that the sensor light had turned on; the guy was now ten feet from the house. Oh no, the light -my parents will wake up if the light isn't turned off really soon. I ran to my door and opened it, "Jade!" I hissed through the darkness of the hallway. Jade didn't respond, so she must be in the living room already. I felt my way along the hallway, my vision getting clearer as my eyes adjusted. I carefully walked down the stairs, being cautious of the ones that creaked. I saw Jade walking towards the door. "Jade!" I hissed again. She didn't respond, probably ignoring me now. She opened the door.

"Hey, hottie," Jade greeted the silhouette, reaching up on her toes to kiss him. David slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

I was about to interrupt the two lovebirds when a loud voice that came from behind, stopped me, "You let go of my daughter right now!" It was my dad.

"Jade Marie Andrews, get inside this instant!" my mom commanded with an authority I never knew she had.

My parents were behind me, at the top of the staircase. I wanted to hide, even though I wasn't the person in trouble at the moment. As soon as this scenario was over, I knew my parents would scold me for not waking them up sooner. I might as well hide; I didn't want Jade to snare me into the story that she would tell Mom and Dad. I snuck quickly and quietly off the stairs and into the cupboard that was underneath the staircase. I left it open a crack to make sure that no one saw me. I was in the clear; David had let her go and was now staring up at my parents. He shifted and leaned against the doorway casually. Half of his face was now lit; he was wearing an amused expression and his eyes were crimson. Even though I knew they were contacts, they still made a chill run up my spine.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. My name is David," he said, his low voice like music. I couldn't se my parent's faces, but they must have been too surprised to speak because David continued, "I have a friend here who is pretty hungry -perhaps you could help her out?"

Suddenly, a girl appeared in the doorway. She had curly brown hair that cascaded down to her hips. Her eyes were deep pools of black. She smiled, revealing teeth that must have been filed into sharp points. I covered my mouth in horror. Jade stepped back from the two beautiful people; her green eyes were wide. "David," my sister said, barely above a whisper. "W-who is she?"

The corner of David's mouth turned upward, "This is Elizabeth. I've known her for a long time."

Elizabeth chuckled, as if what David said was somehow funny.

Jade didn't find this funny; her expression turned sour, "Oh? And I suppose that Elizabeth is very dear to you?"

"She can survive my world," David replied, sounding as if it was very obvious.

"And I can't?"

"Would you like to?"

"Of course I would."

"Elizabeth, why don't you help yourself while I bring Jade into our world?" David grinned; his white, razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the artificial light. He looked like an angel, but his satirical smile turned him into an angel of chaos.

Elizabeth nodded, looking very excited. She walked into the house gracefully; her movement was so smooth, it looked like she had glided across the floor. "Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, would you kindly show me where the kitchen is?" her voice was hypnotic, a very exquisite sound. Mom and Dad were no match for Elizabeth's charm; they walked down the stairs, past me, and into the kitchen. I shuddered as a chill went through my body. Something bad was going to happen. I covered my mouth in preparation; it would be bad if I screamed. I wished I was powerful enough to stop whatever was about to come, but I was only a weak girl.

I heard a loud snap from the kitchen, followed by a thud and an ear-piercing scream that belonged to my mother. I curled into a ball; shutting my eyes tight and covering my ears. Another scream erupted from the living room. Jade's screaming, however, didn't stop; it sounded like agony, as if she had been lit on fire. It felt like I was in the cupboard for hours, though I'm sure that it was only minutes. I heard David and Elizabeth leave; Jade was still screaming. The kitchen was silent. As soon as I was positive they were gone, I ran out of the cupboard to Jade's side. There was blood on her shirt; her neck was bleeding. I took off my shirt and placed it on her neck; she screamed even louder, making me wince.

"Jade, oh god, I'm sorry but I have to stop the bleeding." I explained, choking back a sob.

"It….feels like…I'm burning." Jade struggled to say.

"What did that freak do to you?"

"He…bit me…I don't….think he's…human, Carolyn."

"He's too good looking to be human, Jade." I said, hoping to lighten the atmosphere a little bit.

Jade chuckled, but winced. She kept her jaw clenched, holding back more screams. I took her hand to reassure that I was going to stay by her side. She squeezed it appreciatively. "I think Elizabeth killed Mom and Dad." I said softly, water coming from my eyes.

"Did you see…their bodies?"

"N-no," my voice cracked. "I was too scared to look."

"Please don't l-leave me, Carolyn."

"I won't." I promised.

"Not even to…call the ambulance."

"But you're bleeding!" I protested, tear drops falling onto the wooden floor.

"Carolyn…I'm scared…I don't want you to…leave me right now."

"Okay, Jade." I whispered, wiping the sweat off of her cool skin. In all my life, I had never felt so helpless.

**-Four days later-**

I snuggled my face deeper into my pillow. A smile spread across my face out of relief. It had all been a dream. I would get up and eat breakfast thanks to my dad -the most amazing cook ever. Then I would stay in my pajamas until I had to go anywhere, most likely a friend's house…Ugh, I better get up; otherwise Jade will finish off the orange juice. I then noticed a strange poking feeling in the crook of my arm; I opened my eyes and saw needles with tubes connected to me. Fear and confusion shot through me. I sat up and looked around; yep, I was in the hospital. There were white walls, white floors, white bedspreads, etc. I looked to the bed next to me, I only saw a stranger. Jade was no where to be seen. My heart began to pick up speed. Oh god, what if she was in those critical condition ward-things? I noticed a familiar woman sleeping in a chair at my bedside; she had short red hair and was wearing professional attire. It was my Aunt Cleo. I only got to see her once a year because she lived in Seattle and I lived in Pittsburg. I then remembered that she was coming for her annual visit. She must have found me, Jade, and my parents.

"Aunt Cleo?"

She stirred, but didn't really wake up.

"Aunt Cleo, I'm awake."

She opened her eyes and yawned. When she saw that I was sitting up she jumped to her feet and strode over to me. "How do you feel?"

"Where's Jade?" I asked promptly. Who cares how I feel? Jade is somewhere screaming in pain.

Aunt Cleo's face softened, her eyes full of sadness, "Honey, she's missing."

"Jade's missing?!" I exclaimed.

"Hun, please keep your voice down," she whispered, placing a reassuring hand on my forearm.

"Didn't you find her when you found me?" I asked, keeping my volume down.

Aunt Cleo shook her head, "No, just you and…your parents."

I didn't speak again for another minute. Jade had left me. She left me in that house with my decaying parents (the smell was awful) only a room away. Maybe Jade had been kidnapped by David, but why would he do that three says later? No, Jade said that the burning was starting to dim. She was getting better, colder, and resembled a marble statue. She had been _transforming_ into whatever David was. One, David was inhumanly beautiful. Two, he had bit Jade. Three, Jade was becoming something else after the bite. I had no doubt that David was a vampire. Jade was probably now a vampire, roaming the streets for blood. Tears began to fill up my eyes. "When is their funeral going to be?"

"I just found you unconscious last night; I haven't had time to make arrangements like that yet." Aunt Cleo spoke softly, as if any other tone would break me.

"Oh, okay."

"Carolyn, what happened in there?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Auntie," my voice sounding sharper than I intended.

"Darling, you have to," she pleaded. "I'm sorry, but the authorities need to know. You're parents died in there and your sister is missing and you were half dead. We need to know."

I shuddered at the thought of anyone else coming in contact with vampires. More people would get hurt. I couldn't give them enough information to find David and Elizabeth. "Two weirdo people came to our house, one boy and one girl. The boy poisoned Jade, and the girl killed Mom and Dad. I was hiding under the staircase while it happened. Then I stayed by Jade's side for another two days and went unconscious because I hadn't slept, eaten or drinking anything."

"How did she survive the poison for that long?" my Aunt wondered aloud.

"It was a toxin that gave off a burning sensation." I said, trying to sound convincing when in reality I barely had any idea I was talking about.

"Jade wasn't at the house when I got there though."

"The people probably came back and kidnapped her." I said, keeping my face composed, trying to sound like an all-knowing adult. I wanted to Aunt Cleo to put her trust in me.

"Why didn't they harm you then?"

"I looked dead, didn't I?"

Aunt Cleo nodded. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "What did these people look like?"

"Aunt Cleo, I don't know. It was dark, the lights were off. I just want to forget the whole thing." I rushed, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden.

Aunt Cleo nodded and kissed me on the forehead, "I'm your guardian now, Carolyn. I'm going to take care of you."

I nodded, holding back the sob that was threatening to overcome me. I was going to have to move to Seattle. I was being forced to leave everything behind, not that there was much left.

**-A few months later-**

**-Collin-**

I felt funny. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. I exhaled smoke and stepped on the burning cigarette, putting it out. "I'm going home, Jack."

Jack's brown eyes looked up from a guitar magazine. He pushed his blonde-dyed hair out of his eyes. "'Kay, see you."

I exited his house. It was pitch black, being two in the morning, so I stepped carefully -being a klutz was dangerous. I walked over to my Cherokee jeep (it was really my dad's, but he's not around anymore and there are no cops around to pull me over) -it was pretty much a rectangular box on wheels, the red paint was faded. I got inside, put on a seat belt, started the car, flicked on the headlights and began the drive home. I turned on the radio to the rock station and listened to guitar solos and chords. My vision began to blur. I blinked a few times, but my sight never changed. I slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. The radio station went to an irritating commercial.

I snapped...literally. My bones began to crack and shift. I clenched my teeth and got out of the car and collapsed on the ground. I swore fire had replaced my spine. My entire frame was shaking, like a phone on vibrate. I clenched my teeth and jerked around in pain, accidentally rolling into a ditch. I could feel my muscles being pulled, stretching beyond their limits. I yelled, and then I yelled louder when I could feel my nose being drawn forward and my teeth turning into points. My nails dug into the wet ground and seemed to penetrate deeper than was possible. I gasped for air, but not taking much in -my lungs weren't working properly. I yelled again when my skin was being pushed from the inside out, past the normal zone, as the muscles beneath it grew; it tore into shreds, along with my clothes. I shut my eyes tightly. Oh man, I was dying some sort of strange death, wasn't I?

"_No, you're not dying,"_ said a low voice. I was out in the middle of nowhere; there was no way that there was really a voice. I was crazy, insane. _"You're not crazy. We're sharing thoughts." _

I noticed that the pain was gone, well excluding my sore muscles. Seriously?

"_Seriously." _

Man, I've really screwed up. I shouldn't have accepted that beer, Jack probably drugged it. The bastard.

"_You're not under any illegal influences." _

Okay, so if I'm still…in control and not insane, and you're really an actual person sharing thoughts with me for some reason, then who are you?

"_My name is Sam Uley."_

No way! You're that guy who's always at the beach but looks too old to be hanging out with high scholars -ah, sorry. I didn't really mean to, um, think that. I've never had to manage my thoughts before. _"You're Collin, am I correct?"_

Uh, yeah? You were expecting me? Why would you think I was someone else?

"_Just making sure."_

"_Sam! It's almost time to meet up with the bloodsuckers -we gotta go!"_ said a voice.

"_I hope they accidentally kill each other,"_ a second voice said.

"_Bella is going to be there, so don't even start Paul."_

"_Don't pretend that you don't wish that would happen, Jacob,"_ said Paul.

"_Hello! I'm already near the boundary line. Get your tails over here!"_ the first voice said.

"_Hang on, Embry," _said Sam. _"We've got a new member."_

"_Whoa! A new pack member! Jeez, how many of us are out there? I mean, seriously, that makes ten!"_ Embry exclaimed.

"_Cool, I'm not the youngest anymore,"_ said yet another voice happily.

"_You're still young, Brady,"_ another voice pointed out.

"_Shut it Seth, you aren't that much older than me."_

"_I'm still older than you."_

"_Seth, Mom said that if you raid the fridge at night again one more time, she's gonna make you do all of the grocery shopping,"_ said a smug female voice.

"_Leah, you ate that last pizza, not me."_

"_So? You ate the chicken, the left over spaghetti, and finished off the bread to make sandwiches."_

"_Ahem."_ Sam coughed to get the sibling's attention. _"Leah, there's a new pack member."_

"_Jeez, Brady just joined last week."_

"_Sorry, guys,"_ a voice apologized. _"I had to take a shower from being inside that damn house. I reeked."_

"_Quil, you're so high maintenance."_ Embry said.

"_Ugh, don't even start you two. I had to listen to you to bicker all the way back from the party,"_ complained Jacob.

"_Where the hell is Jared?"_ Paul asked, ignoring Quil's protesting in the background.

"_Sorry, I'm heading where you guys are now."_

"_Where have you been?"_ Sam asked.

"_Kim's." _Jared replied as if it was completely obvious.

"_We should have known,"_ muttered Paul. I had a feeling he was rolling his eyes.

"_So, what's your name anyways?"_ asked Leah, remembering my existence.

Collin. Everyone greeted me in unison (Jared quickly grasped the situation), which I found kinda creepy.

"_You'll get used to us doing things at the same time, don't worry." _Quil assured me.

Where are you guys?

"_We're on First Beach; you are near La Push, right?"_

Yeah, I'm just lying in a ditch off the side of a dirt road.

"_Why are you in a ditch?"_

I accidentally rolled in. I'm gonna get out now. I opened my eyes -my vision worked great now, maybe even better. The grass looked greener, it also smelled stronger too. I rolled off of my side and onto my belly (with some difficulty because the space was smaller than I remembered) and pushed my body up off ground, standing up; my arms and legs moved upward at the same time, which anatomy wise didn't make sense, along with other factors. A _lot_ of other factors. Instead of hands; large white paws were in their place. Nails had become threatening long black claws. White fur turned to reddish-grey at my elbow. What the hell?! I'm a freakin' fluffy animal! Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of reddish-grey and I turned. I had a tail. Oh my god.

I heard a couple of sniggers in my head. Oh shut up.

"_The word "fluffy" got to me, sorry,"_ apologized Embry.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm _so _happy that you find my word choice funny. So why am I an animal? What animal am I? And are you guys like me?

An image of a large black wolf flashed through my mind. _"That's me,"_ said Sam.

So, I'm a wolf?

"_We all are,"_ said Jacob, a flash of a reddish-brown wolf appeared in my mind.

A chocolate colored wolf -Quil.

A grey wolf with dark spots on his back -Embry.

A silver wolf -Paul.

A dark grey -Jared.

A sand colored wolf -Seth.

A light grey -Leah.

A caramel colored wolf -Brady.

**(A/N: I made up Collin's, Brady's, and Jared's colors only because I couldn't find the information. Please keep reading!) **

So we're…werewolves? Transforming from man to wolf, sounded like the definition of werewolf to me.

"_Yep,"_ replied Quil. I felt relieved in a way, simply because all of the unexplainable things made sense; the fact that my temperature was a one-o-eight, that I was freakishly tall for someone my age, and that I was almost always hungry. There was also fear; what exactly did werewolves do in their spare time? Hopefully nothing to do with hurting humans.

"_No, we're pro-human. There are also stories and stuff, which we would love to tell you, but we gotta be ten miles north from the Hoh Forest ranger station in less than an hour!"_ reminded Embry.

"_We'll get there."_ Sam growled, annoyed. _"Where are you, Collin?"_

Like twenty minutes away from the station.

"_What road?"_ (I answered him) _"We're on our way."_

So why do are we going there?

"_To meet bloodsuckers," _answered Jared.

Um, like leeches?

"_Big leeches,"_ confirmed Paul.

Why and how big are we talking about?

"_The size of a person,"_ answered Seth.

The others were laughing, knowing the information that they weren't telling me. Or maybe it was because when he said that, I imagined a large leech being stuck on a person coming out of a lake.

"_That's enough,"_ said Sam, his tone disapproving. Everyone stopped laughing. _"We're talking about vampires. The situation is complicated, but we're meeting up with a coven of vampires to discuss killing other vampires. This is a rare event, considering we aren't allies, so be on your best behavior."_

I sighed. I knew that there was drama in my life, but I never expected this.

"_None of us did,"_ replied Jacob.

Could you guys, I don't know, stop sharing my thoughts?

"_We can't control it, and neither can you. Of course, you could always morph back into a person, but it's hard your first time."_

Great. No offense, but I don't want to share my thoughts with you guys -and girl.

"_Thanks for including me."_ Leah said, sounding genuine but also seemed kind of irked at being the only female.

Well, I'm just going to pretend that none of you are in my head, for now. (A hint that I didn't want any commentary.) They understood. Okay, I need to figure out what I'm going to do now. My life was over, that was for certain. I was unstable and there was no point in denying it, after all, I did change into a wolf without my own consent. I'll have to break away from my friends (who weren't quite friends); they have caused a lot of drama and throwing a werewolf into that equation would equal disaster. So good bye to my friends. I'll have to quit drinking, Jennifer was right -it's bad for me and I'm underage- but I'll also need really good judgment and alcohol won't help me there.

"_Whoa, hang on! I don't mean to interrupt, but you drink?! How old are you?"_ Jared asked.

I'm thirteen.

"_Wow, you're the same age as me!"_ exclaimed Brady. Everyone else's thoughts were full of surprise and criticism.

Yeah, surprising I know. I guess I turned onto the wrong path after my dad died and my mom went to Europe because of her job.

Their thoughts turned sympathetic and full of understanding.

It's okay now. This whole transformation thing…it's going to be my rebirth. I'm going to change because this is the chance I've been secretly waiting for, to become the person that I should be.

**A/N: Yes, I know. Holy crap is a good first thought. I didn't know this when I started this fic, but when I reread **_**Eclipse,**_** I saw that they are indeed 13. See for yourself on page 434. Yeah, he's drinking and smoking -and stealing his dad's car- at thirteen, my idea completely, but he gets better!! I know its unrealistic in a way, but I only just learned this and don't feel like retyping everything. Nevertheless, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Please review, telling me what you think!**


	2. Fated Meeting

**Collin is now sixteen, for those who don't feel like doing the math. I don't blame you people -math isn't fun. My Algebra 3 exam is in a week and a half.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series.**

"_**Secret thoughts and open countenance will go safely over the whole world"**_** -Scipione Alberti**

* * *

**-****Three**** years later-**

**-Collin-**

I ran parallel to the back roads to Seattle. My claws digging deep into the wet soil with every step. Stupid graduation requirements. There weren't enough places in La Push for students to get service learning hours; so the people who didn't sign up to help at the local places -me included- had to go out of their way to find a place where they could volunteer at. My sensitive nose crinkled as it picked up the smell of people, car exhaust, food, and trash. Seattle was getting closer and closer. I didn't need my nose to tell me that though -I had run past enough suburbs to know that the large city wasn't too far. I slowed down; the cover the forest provided was getting thinner. I scanned the wooded area cautiously, to make sure that there were no people around. My ears and nose didn't pick up on any sign of a person either. My body shook as bones shifted and cracked, and muscles contracted.

I stood up after morphing and opened my leather pouch. I pulled on my clothes; jeans -that were cut into shorts-, a shirt -the article of clothing I only wore because of the school dress code- and the obvious. I frowned when I saw my sneakers at the bottom of my bag. I hated shoes. I put them on anyway and headed for the road. I smiled, knowing that I was a very different person than three years ago. Three years ago I didn't care about school, and here I am walking/running miles for a school requirement. The pack says that I did a one-eighty in attitude, and they're right. I'm now quiet, reserved and most importantly I don't drink, smoke, and I even drive legally -I got my license a month ago. My jeep unfortunately, is sitting in Jake's garage. Nothing is worse for a motor vehicle than it just sitting for days on end and worse off, sitting in the rain. He gave me a good lecture on that one, and Jake isn't much for lectures. He laughed afterwards, saying that he won't charge me because I stood there and listened to him go on and on. I reached the road and kept to the side.

The air had been feeling heavy all day, so it didn't surprise me when it began to rain. Man, I loved having a one-o-eight temperature; I was nice and toasty. I jogged, splashing through more and more puddles as the city came into view. My nose wrinkled; the car exhaust was suffocating when compared to the clean air of La Push, at least the rain lessened the smell. It didn't take long for me to step onto city pavement. I've never really ventured out to Seattle; it's a long four hour drive, and with gas is so expensive the journey was pretty ridiculous. I guess it was a good that I came here one my own two (four?) feet.

All in all, Seattle is a big city; it's full of people with raincoats and umbrellas. There are also a lot of shops, restaurants and tourist traps. I couldn't think of a reason why someone would want to come to overcast Seattle; especially when California was couple states away with its warm climate and had beaches with soft sand -our beaches had a lot of rocks so the sand wasn't all great, and the water threatened hypothermia. Oh, there's the tide pools, that's one plus. I walked down the sidewalks with ease; people avoided me, scared of my size or just scared that I could trip and fall on them. Luckily for them, I'm not clumsy anymore. It also may have been because it was only twenty degrees out and I wasn't wearing a coat; turning me into a freak, but whatever -at least I was wearing shoes. I pulled out a damp piece of paper from my back pocket and reread the directions. I folded it and stuffed it back into my pocket.

After getting lost about two times (the ink on the paper had smeared), I had finally reached my destination. The animal shelter. I winced at the memory of the pack's reaction when I told them that I had to do service learning hours and the councilor suggested this place; I pushed the memory of their fits of laughter out of my head and entered the building. The smell of cats and dogs was strong; but the smell of vanilla air freshener and bleach was stronger; with a hint of mango lingering in the air. The room was small, with white tiled floors and lavender walls. There were pictures of animals in frames on the walls; some cats and other dogs, little paw print designs accompanied them, scattered across the surface in violet. Pushed off to the sides were chairs, all nicely lined up. In the middle of the room was the front desk. I walked up to the counter and waited for the girl behind it to notice me. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt -her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, jeans and had her light brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She was busy filing stuff in a cabinet, her back to me. She looked about 5'6"; her figure was slim with soft curves.

"Excuse me." I said to get her attention.

She spun around with a warm smile on her face, which quickly turned into a surprised 'O' when she saw how tall I was. The file she had in her hand slipped; landing on the ground, sending papers across the white tiled floor. She flushed from embarrassment and turned away from me (something that I instantly disliked), "I'm sorry, I'll be just a second." Her voice was clear and I loved the sound of it. She bent down and began to collect the scattered papers. I walked around the counter and bent down to help her, needing to be closer to her, an invisible cord pulling on me. I breathed in her scent; she smelled like mango. Her smooth skin was lighter than mine; a milky cream. I quickly gathered some papers. "Thanks for helping," she smiled at me -which filled me with an immeasurable amount of happiness- and then reached for another paper.

"You're welcome. My name's Collin," I told her, eager to hear her name in return.

"Carolyn," she said, glancing at me. Her eyes were a pretty dark blue, which contrasted with her light skin and hair. Carolyn picked up the folder and stood up. I stood up too and handed her the papers I had collected. She combined my stack with hers and put them in the folder, and then she set the folder on the counter. "So what brings you here?" Carolyn asked, turning to face me.

"Service Learning hours," I explained, reaching into my pocket, unfolding the damp sheet of paper and showing it to her.

Carolyn took it and then looked back up at me, "You're soaked," she stated with disapproval. "I'll go get you a towel," she said in a determined tone, and turned on her heel to leave.

I didn't want her to leave, so I gently grabbed her by the arm, "I'm fine, really." I shiver went through my body when my hand touched her bare skin.

"You're hot!" she exclaimed, surprised at the temperature of my skin. To my surprise, she didn't try to pull away from me.

"Why, thank you." I joked before I could stop myself; I guess the more outgoing part of me was closer to the surface than I had thought.

To my relief, Carolyn laughed, "You're welcome, but you really shouldn't be out in this in kind of weather when you're sick."

"I'm not sick. I'm always this hot."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Always?"

"Always."

"So I don't have to take you to the hospital?"

"Not at all."

"Okay," she said, her tone showing that she wasn't sure if she should believe me. "I'll be right back," she told me.

I nodded.

She then pointed to my hand on her arm.

Opps. Much to my reluctance, I let her go. She gave me last smile before leaving the room. I wanted to stop her again; but stopping her for the second time would have made me look like a weirdo -and not the good kind, which is why I didn't follow her either. I heard dogs barking at her arrival. I looked around the room again, seeing if there was anything interesting to look at. I saw in the corner of the desk a purse with a couple of books beside it. I read the titles, assuming that she liked fantasy and science-fiction. I smiled; the irony was comical. There was a mirror hanging up, I caught my reflection. I was a mess; my clothes were dirty from splashing in the puddles. Embarrassment crashed into me. I didn't make any move to fix my appearance, there wasn't really much I could do about it. I looked back to the door that Carolyn had exited the room through; it was a simple purple metal door. There was a lot of purple in this room, I noticed. I began humming a tune quietly, trying to distract myself from the urge to go through that purple metal door and find Carolyn. She came back about ten seconds later, though it felt a hell of a lot longer to me. Her breathing was at a quicker rhythm, did she run to get me that towel?

Carolyn handed me a towel, "Here, you should dry off."

I took the towel, "Thanks."

"Mm-hmm. I don't mean to pry or anything, but you don't exactly look like you're in high school. How old are you?"

I put the towel on my head and began to dry off my hair, "I'm sixteen -I'm a sophomore. So, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

Carolyn smiled, "Same age as you. So how long are you going to be volunteering here?"

"Until I get my hours all in."

"All forty hours?"

I nodded. "What about you?"

"Oh, my aunt runs this place. I already got all of my hours in."

"Where's your aunt?"

"Working at her other job," Carolyn answered, her vice sounded slightly sad.

"Ah. So what can I do to assist you?" I asked, changing the subject. I took the towel off of my head now that my hair was dry; my temperature had helped the process. I gave her a smile, wanting to cheer her up.

"First let me give you a tour," she smiled -her tone much lighter.

"Alright." I agreed, thought I probably would have agreed to anything she suggested.

"You can just toss the towel somewhere." Carolyn gestured around the room. I tossed it on a chair nearby. "Okay, let's go."

Carolyn headed towards the purple metal door; I reached past her and opened it for her. She seemed surprised at this gesture, but happy about it -thanking me and giving me a nice smile. I smiled back, unable to not smile when she smiled. We entered the room, me after her. The room had the same white tile as the first, but the theme color here was blue. There pens against the wall, creating a walkway down the center of the room. The pens where two times bigger than a bathroom stall and where made out of metal; keeping the dogs inside, well, inside. Different kinds of dogs stared at us, they had started to bark when we first entered but they were now quiet. I looked over at Carolyn to see if this was strange.

Apparently it was, because her brows were furrowed in confusion. "The dogs are acting strange." Then to make things weirder; some of the dogs rolled onto their backs, exposing their soft bellies. Other dogs lowered their heads and put their tails in between their legs. They were showing that someone was boss. According to Carolyn, it was strange, so that meant I was boss. It kind of irked me; I didn't want any special treatment.

"Yeah, they are." I agreed. "I don't think it's anything to worry about." I added in a confident tone, hoping to convince her. It was much too soon for Carolyn to know anything, or for her to get suspicious. Maybe after I get all of my hours in and then some, I'll tell her. Maybe.

**-Carolyn- (A/N: I'm backtracking so you can read the previous scene through Carolyn's POV)**

Even though I have lived in Seattle for three years, I'm still not used to how much it rains. In Pittsburg, it didn't rain this much, but here I am, stuck at the animal shelter with rainy weather. I will never understand why Aunt Cleo opened up an animal shelter, if she wasn't going to work there. I was assigned the afternoon shift and closing, while she did mornings and opening; it was scheduled that way because I had school during morning hours. I never had a pet -Dad was allergic, so Aunt Cleo was lucky that I was willing. I was about to sit behind the desk and simply read, but the folder of documents in front of me were haunting me. Aunt Cleo had asked me to file them. I sighed and began to file the stupid papers. I hated paperwork. I got enough of it at school.

"Excuse me?" said a low, smooth voice.

I spun around, surprised that I didn't hear him come in. My jaw dropped when I saw the man in front of the counter. He was utterly gorgeous; his black hair was disheveled and wet from the rain, making him look like a model from a beach-vacation commercial. His t-shirt was soaked; it clung to his figure showing off the muscle beneath the fabric. His smooth skin was dark, and yet it seemed to have a glow of its own. Around his hips were strings tied, holding a leather pouch in place. His eyes were a beautiful dark brown; nearly drowning me in their depth. The saying "tall, dark, and handsome" went through my mind. I was so completely distracted that my hand relaxed; dropping the folder of papers. Documents scattered across the tiled floor at contact. I blushed, completely embarrassed, and turned away from the good looking stranger. "I'm sorry -I'll be just a second." I said quickly, foolishly worried that he would get upset for wasting his time. I bent down and began to gather the papers; then suddenly, he was next to me, helping me with the strewn documents. Once more, I didn't even hear him walk up; he was like a ninja -able to move in silence. Man, I need to stop watching _Naruto_ before I go to bed. I could feel his body heat against my arm; seeping into me, warming me up. His masculine scent reminded me of the forest; woodsy and fresh. "Thanks for helping," I smiled at the man, appreciating the help and the warmth. I reached out for another sheet of paper.

"You're welcome. My name's Collin," he introduced himself.

"Carolyn," I gave him my name, glancing at him and then turning my attention back to the papers. I couldn't trust myself to look at Collin a second longer; I would stare for sure. I picked up the folder and stood up, he did too and handed me the papers he had collected. I combined my stack with his; adding the two inside the folder, and setting it on the counter. "So what brings you here?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I faced him.

"Service Learning hours," he answered, reaching into his back pocket. Collin unfolded the damp paper and handed it to me. I took it, examining the form quickly. Yep, service learning hours for sure. I looked back at him and was about to tell him that he looked too old to be in high school, but analyzing his face made me pedal back in thought. "You're soaked." I told him, upset that he was in such a condition. After all, he could get sick. "I'll go get you a towel." I said, turning on my heel to get him one. I didn't really know Collin well, but I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible. Like he was a guest and I a hostess.

To my surprise, he stopped me by taking hold of my arm, "I'm fine really." More so to my surprise, his bare skin was hot; not in the sense of burning, but just really warm. His grip was also gentle, soft. To distract myself to think any further about him touching me, I said the first thing that came to my mind, "You're hot!"

"Why, thank you," he replied somewhat cheekily.

I laughed. "You're welcome, but you really shouldn't be out in this kind of weather when you're sick."

"I'm not sick. I'm always this hot." Collin replied, his face serious.

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, thinking of the word 'hot', "Always?"

"Always," he replied smoothly.

"So I don't have to take you to the hospital?"

"Not at all."

"Okay," I said, unsure if I should believe that he wasn't ill. "I'll be right back."

Collin nodded.

I pointed to my arm where his hand was. He let go of me, and I gave him one last smile before I left the room in search of a towel. As soon as the door was shut behind me, I began to run. Passing the dogs, who barked at me as usual -they either wanted to play, go outside, or eat. I reach the closet at the end of the aisle. I turned the handle and flicked on the light switch. I scanned the small space for a towel, where did I put them? Leashes, no. Food, no. Brushes, no. First aid kit, no. Wait, was Collin hurt? Carolyn, don't be stupid, he was just wet from the rain. Next item. Where are those towels? Oh yeah, they're in the other closet. I turned right, passing the golden retriever in the corner pen, and entered the cat room. I strode past the meowing cats straight to the closet. The towels were in there; I grabbed one and ran back to the door that lead to the lobby. I took a deep breath before opening the door and then stepped through casually. Collin hadn't moved, standing right where I had left him. I handed him the towel, "Here, you should dry off."

"Thanks," he replied, taking the towel.

"Mm-hmm. I don't mean to pry or anything, but you don't exactly look like you're in high school. How old are you?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"I'm sixteen -I'm a sophomore. So, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" he said, drying off his hair.

"Same age as you. So how long are you going to be volunteering here?" I smiled, relieved that there wasn't an awkward age difference.

"Until I get my hours all in."

"All forty hours?" I questioned, selfishly hoping that the hours required of him were a lot so he would stay longer.

"Yep, what about you?" he asked me.

"Oh, my aunt runs this place. I already got all of my hours in."

"Where's your aunt?"

"Working at her other job." I answered, unable to keep the sadness out of my voice. She was rarely home; and when she was, I was sleeping or at school.

"Ah. So what can I do to assist you?" he asked, giving me a smile that melted my heart. He took the towel off of his now dry hair.

"First, let me give you a tour." I said, returning the smile.

"Alright."

"You can just toss the towel somewhere." I gestured around the room, not wanting to put it away properly -doing so would make me leave him again. He tossed it on a chair nearby. "Okay, let's go." I headed for the door that entered into the dog's room; Collin reached past me and opened it for me like a gentleman, catching me completely by surprise. The only time that ever happened to me was when I was at a restaurant and a gentleman was leaving, or when my dad was alive and did that all the time. There was a small tug on my heart, but also relief for the familiarity of the event. A smile spread onto my face and I thanked Collin. He smiled back. I entered the dog's room first, him following me. We were instantly greeted by barking, but then the barking began to face and then stop altogether. Collin looked at me.

"The dogs are acting strange." I said. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, some of the dogs rolled onto their backs revealing their bellies to us. Other dogs lowered their heads as if they were bowing and had their tails in between their legs.

"Yeah, they are." Collin agreed. "I don't think it's anything to worry about."

**-Ten hours later-**

**-Collin-**

"Guys." I said timidly, wanting to get the pack's attention.

They stopped talking -Quil and Embry stopped their arm wrestling match- immediately when they heard the nervousness in my voice, they turned to face me; worry in their eyes. It was unusual for me to bring attention to myself.

"What's wrong, Collin?" Sam asked.

I took a deep breath and decided to say it bluntly, "I imprinted."

Sam let out a relieved sigh -whether it was because I had imprinted or because my nervousness wasn't about something bad, I couldn't tell.

"Nice," said Paul, his tone suggested that _it was about time_.

Embry and Quil put me into a headlock and gave me a brotherly noogie. "Aw, our Collin is growing up." Embry cooed. Quil wiped away a fake tear.

I pulled away from them; my face red from their tight hold and embarrassment. Jared laughed at me.

"Well, who's the lucky girl?" Jake asked with a wicked grin on his face, but there was an emotion in his eyes that I couldn't place.

"Yeah, Collin, who's the lucky girl?" Brady elbowed me playfully in the ribs.

"Her name is Carolyn." I answered.

"Come on, details!" pleaded Seth.

"Just morph," Leah said, impatiently. "So we can see what she looks like."

We all looked around to make sure that there was no one else in the forest. I nodded. Everyone hid behind a tree to strip, and then there was a sound of bones cracking. Our minds were instantly united as one. I replayed the image of Carolyn in my head; it wasn't hard because I had been staring at her all afternoon. I had listened intently while she talked, loving the sound of her voice, or the way she would get animated in what she was saying. She lived in an apartment with her aunt and her sister. I found that she hated homework as much as I did, and that she too had her license- claiming it was a pain to watch the price of gas increase. She owned a Saturn. She likes to read, listen to music -our tastes the same, and procrastinate on homework. I was eager to learn more about her.

**-Carolyn-**

I sat down on the window sill and stared out of the window, letting my thoughts drift. Collin. He was by far the most beautiful guy I've ever seen, as well as the nicest guy I've met outside of family. I was looking forward to tomorrow; he had said that he was going to be at the shelter then. My heart was soaring, happy that I would get to see him so soon. I replayed the afternoon in my head, smiling. The more time passed the more casual our conversations became. He lived in La Push -my heart nearly stopped in worry that he would stop coming because of the long drive. We discussed how school sucked and how stupid the gas prices were. He owned a Cherokee jeep. We talked about hobbies -he likes to play guitar, listen to music, hang out with his "crazy" friends, and to my surprise- cliff diving.

A loud snap pulled me out of my thoughts. I spun around, my heart beating wildly. As soon as I recognized the person, I felt instantly safe. My sister was home. Just last year she arrived at the door. My aunt asked her all sorts of questions but Jade said that she couldn't remember much. Later on, when we were alone, she explained that she was indeed a vampire. She had left because she didn't want to hurt me, and said that she's been feeding on animals- trying to change the fate that had been placed upon her. Jade was far more beautiful than me, preserved in her sixteen year old body; perfect in every way. She had curves in all the right places; her chest larger than mine. Her skin was smooth and pale; like a porcelain doll. Her unusual eye color making her look exotic, especially with her dark brown hair. She shut the door behind her and undid the bolt; it was now useless with a broken chain.

"Why didn't you answer the door? I knocked you know," she said in irritated tone.

"Sorry, Jade." I said, walking over to her. "How was hunting?"

"Eh, I only caught a few rabbits," disappointment colored her tone. "Why don't you go and eat dinner, then we head over to the animal shelter?" Jade asked, her dark butterscotch eyes lighting up.

I bit my lip. I hated it when Jade decided to feed on the animals from the shelter. "I don't know, Jade. We can't have too many animals disappear. Aunt Cleo will get suspicious." Or worse, Collin.

"Oh, come on, Carolyn! It's been an entire week. Besides, Aunt Cleo is too busy with her other job to notice. You're the only one there."

"Well, actually," I stopped myself. Did I want Jade to know about Collin? What if Collin met her and never looked my way again? What if Collin found out the reason why animals from the shelter disappeared once or twice every week? What would I do if he found out? What would Jade do to him? No, Jade wouldn't hurt him…

"Go on." Jade urged, suspicious.

"Never mind. It's nothing." I said, looking away from Jade. She was good at deciphering my thoughts through eye contact.

She gently took my hand; her skin was cold, as usual, "Carolyn, listen to me. You can tell me anything. I'll never let anything or anyone hurt you. Never. You know that, don't you?"

I nodded.

Jade sighed, releasing my hand, "I'm not sure you do."

I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already in our small kitchen.

She came back with a knife. I watched as she twisted the metal into the shape of a balloon poodle, "If I wanted to, I could break you so easily. If I wanted to, I could suck your veins dry. But the thing is, Carolyn, is that I _don't_. I love you; you are my one and only sister. And I don't ever want anything bad to happen to you. So please don't shut me out."

"That was a perfectly good knife, Jade," I said; my eyes transfixed on the warped metal.

Jade laughed; it was like a wind chime, "I'll fix it, don't worry. Oh, and don't change the subject. What's bothering you?"

"I just got attached to one of the animals that's all," I lied.

"Oh, is it the Golden Retriever?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Darn. Oh well, I guess the chocolate lab would be good too."

"Jade," I pleaded.

"Sorry, sorry. I kinda got lost in thought. So are you going to eat first or am I?"

"Actually, Jade, I think I'm gonna go to bed. I had a long day."

Jade frowned, but nodded, "I'll see you later then."

"See you," I said before entering my bedroom. The walls were beige and the carpet white; the light colors made the room look bigger. I changed into my pajamas and curled up under my navy blue covers. I hope Jade cleans up after herself; I don't have a clue what I would say to Collin if he saw blood on the floor. Tears began to leak out and stroll down my face, wetting the pillow beneath my cheek. What would Collin say if he knew that I'm an accomplice? An accomplice of murder, helping a vampire get her hands on the blood she thirsts for. But Jade isn't just any vampire; she's family.

* * *

**End of chapter.**


	3. Blood & Bleach

**Thank you to all who reviewed!! I love you guys! I hope you all enjoy this one.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer; all characters from the Twilight series belong to her.**

"_**A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains"**_** -Dutch proverb**

* * *

**-****Two ****weeks later-**

**-Collin-**

I stared at the clock, waiting for the bell to ring. I had to get out of this class. I had to get out of this school. I had to get out of this town. I had to see Carolyn. I missed her, and it felt like the clock was taunting me; going slower just to increase my misery of being Carolyn-less. Okay, ten minutes until the bell rings. Could the clock go any slower? Stupid school. I should have ditched, but I had decided to turn in the crumpled sheet with the number hours I worked from yesterday instead. I didn't really want to part with the paper though; Carolyn had not only touched it -her scent had lingered-, but she signed her name to prove that I really did do some work. It was pretty pathetic not wanting to give up a sheet of paper but I couldn't help how I felt.

The teacher called on me, noticing that I wasn't paying attention, "Collin, would you care to answer the question?"

"I'd rather not, thanks though." I replied, not really thinking about what had just come out of my mouth.

The teacher was surprised by my answer; I was usually polite. "I wasn't offering, Collin. What is the answer? Or do you not know because you weren't paying attention?"

I sighed, "I couldn't help myself -the clock was just so intriguing. It makes ticking noises, you know."

My classmates stared at me, unused to my sudden outspoken-ness. A few of them sniggered. My teacher sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "Collin you'll have to join me after class today in detention," the teacher said tiredly.

The horror of having to stay longer filled my mind, being quickly replaced with anger. My frame stayed still however, three years of practice made me good at _not_ morphing. "I can't stay after today. I have plans," I said smoothly, but firmly.

"Well, you should have thought of that before you decided to be rude to me. I expect you to stay after."

Okay, now the teacher was taking things personally, and would probably make the excuse that I was disrupting the class or something like that. "I really can't." I said, trying to keep calm.

The teacher stared at me for a moment and then nodded, "Fine, but I want you to come in early tomorrow."

"What time?" I asked almost happily. Even if she made me show up at 4 in the morning, I wouldn't have cared. The thought of being able to see Carolyn straight out of school had placed a smile on my face.

The teacher looked confused, she had been expecting me to complain -but instead I'm smiling and eager. "At six," she replied slowly, still in shock of my reaction.

"Okay," I agreed, leaning back in my seat contentedly.

The teacher forgot all about me answering whatever her question was and continued with the lesson. I paid no attention, of course. I had my eyes closed, repeating the image of Carolyn in my head. The bell rang; I was out of the room before anyone had gotten out of their chairs. Soon enough I was in the forest, taking off my clothes hastily so I could morph and run to Seattle. I shoved my clothes into a leather pouch and tied it around my ankle. My body began to shake. A surge of heat swelled up inside of me; my bones began to crack as they grew and shifted, my muscles stretched, and fur shot out from my skin as I morphed.

"_Collin. I finished your car last night. Are you going drive it to Seattle?" _Jake asked me. I turned and saw his large russet-colored figure walking towards me, I nodded in response. _"Okay, great. Now I can get it out of my garage."_

"_You don't like it when my car visits you?" _I questioned, pretending to be upset.

Jake chuckled, though it sounded more like a cough since he was in wolf form. _"Absolutely. I hated it so much that fixed all that needed to be fixed just so that it wouldn't come back anytime soon."_

"_Thanks, Jake." _I thought, being serious.

"_No problem. Shall we get going?"_

I bolted in response.

Jake caught up with me easily and laughed, _"Hey, give me a heads-up next time."_

**- A few hours later-**

The gas pedal was pretty much flat on the floor. The freeway was nearly empty so there was no one in danger of my speed demon driving. To my reluctance, I slowed down when more cars joined the road. I tapped on the steering wheel, anxious to just swerve around the cars that were going slower than I preferred. I shouldn't have taken the car; I had too much energy to be sitting. However, I remembered how dirty my clothes had gotten from running, so I was relieved that I chose the jeep as my traveling option. If I had known that I would be meeting my imprint yesterday, then I probably would've borrowed a car and wore nicer clothes. Too late now. I looked myself over in the rearview mirror. I didn't brush my hair this morning. There were some dark circles under my eyes from working extra shifts; Quil wanted to see Claire last night, Jared wanted to see Kim the night before that, Embry and Jacob went to go check out some car thing…I'm going to remind them later that they owe me. I was once more wearing a pair of cut-off jeans and a t-shirt, the outfit I wore to school. Jeez, was I bad at looking nice, or what? Heh, I wouldn't have had the patience to get all cleaned up anyways, knowing that it would only lessen the time I would have with Carolyn. Imprinting does strange things to you.

I made a turn on the highway, seeing the city in view. After driving around for a while, I parallel parked my car a block away from the animal shelter; I needed to think about what to say to Carolyn some more. What could we talk about? We had already discussed nearly everything that could be discussed over the past two weeks. I was doing badly, not in the conversation part, but in the being cool and collected part. I was reverting back to the outspoken, arrogant, and wild guy that I had once been. Not so much arrogant, but the older me nevertheless. I'll have to put extra effort forth.

I smelled a familiar mango scent -there was no turning back now. A breeze blew against me, revealing a certain someone's location. I looked over behind some bushes, "Trying to catch me by surprise?" I asked.

Carolyn stood up, "Close, but I was actually searching for a kitten that snuck out earlier," she explained. "How did you know that I was there?"

"I'm magical."

Carolyn laughed, "Teach me some tricks, oh powerful wizard."

Werewolf is a more appropriate term -but "wizard" was close enough, I suppose. "If I teach you a trick will I earn extra service learning hours?" Why did I say that? Stop, Collin, stop. Slow down.

"Um -no." Carolyn smiled, "Nice try though."

"Why thank you. So, how's life treating you?"

"Pretty good, thanks. You?"

"Same here."

"That's good. So-" Carolyn stopped when she saw my expression turn from an easy going smile to utter horror. Wind had blown from the East, carrying with it a too-sweet scent made my muscles tense, my nose burn and my stomach churn. Adrenaline filled my veins; it felt as if I had hot wax for blood. I subconsciously took a step closer to Carolyn, to protect her from any vampire that dared to near her. My frame began to quiver. "Collin? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. My heart began to beat quickly like a war drum, what should I do? I was in a _city_. With tons of people who could claim witness if I stepped out of line; I would not be allowed to morph. Even if I could morph, showing Carolyn what I am is way too soon. I wanted her to actually _like _me first so she could trust me, and hopefully enough so that she won't run away screaming. I noticed that the birds had stopped chirping and the dogs had stopped barking; everything was still and quiet. This only made me more nervous; my hair began to stick on end. I felt Carolyn shiver next to me. Carolyn's movement reminded me that she shouldn't be dragged into my dangerous lifestyle; I was scaring her and I needed to stop. The worry in her eyes was like a knife through my heart. I inhaled deeply hoping to calm myself as well as determine how close the vampire was. Carolyn's mango scent soothed me; I stopped shaking. I exhaled. "Don't worry about it." I said, trying to give her my best smile.

She went into a trance of some sort; I somehow managed not to laugh. She snapped out of it in a matter of seconds and smiled back at me timidly, "Okay. So, um, we should find that kitten."

"Yeah -and soon because it is gonna rain." I said. The air pressure, the moisture, the darkness of the sky -all signaled of a large storm.

**-Carolyn-**

I crouched on the ground and peered under the bushes, in hopes of seeing orange colored fur. My hopes were futile. I felt Collin's heat against my arm as he too got down on his knees and searched for the lost kitten. My heart picked up tempo, knowing that he was only inches away from me.

"No kitten," he stated, frowning. He stood up and offered me his hand. I took it; his warmth felt nice against my wind-chilled skin. A part of me wished that he would embrace me so that I could warm up, the close proximity sounded very nice. The other part of me wanted to convince him that being around me wasn't safe, with such a strong and overprotective sister, and that he needed to leave Seattle and never see me again. I shivered. I never should have gone outside in just a without a coat, or maybe I should just stop having thoughts about making Collin leave.

Collin noticed my lack of clothing, "Shouldn't you have a jacket?" he asked, pulling me up to my feet.

"I saw the kitten climbing out of a window -I wasn't really thinking. What about you?" I asked, acknowledging that he too was wearing a t-shirt but also a pair of cut-off jeans.

"I don't get cold, remember?"

"So why is that?" I asked, unable to restrain my curiosity.

"Why is what?"

"Why is it that you have a high fever?"

"You aren't going to stick on of those butt thermometers in me are you?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "After we find the kitten." I replied, simply to see his reaction.

His expression was priceless. It only took him a second to realize that I was kidding and he began to laugh with me. He had a nice laugh. If I could, I would bottle it up and listen to its echoes. He then stopped suddenly and looked in the direction of the animal shelter.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Shh," he told me, he was going to lift his finger to his mouth, but his hand was still around mine. He let it go, embarrassed. I felt disappointed, but also upset with myself for not having the courage to take his hand again. I nodded in response to his shushing. "Do you hear that?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head.

He gestured for me to follow him and I complied without hesitation. He walked around the animal shelter and kneeled in front of drainage pipe. Now I could hear what he had heard: meowing. He held his hand in front of the opening and clicked his tongue; an orange ball of fur stumbled out and licked his hand. He picked it up gingerly; the kitten easily fit into his palm. His large size made the kitten look smaller than it really was. The kitten purred contentedly. I scratched it behind its ear and the purring grew louder. "Let's go inside now," he said.

I nodded and led the way into the shelter through the back door. The dogs in their pens had their heads lowered, ears folded back, and their tails between their legs. They were also quiet, not one of them barked or stepped up towards us. "The dogs are still acting strange."

"Let's put this kitty back where she belongs." I could tell that Collin felt uncomfortable, but I was afraid that to ask him why. He seemed guarded at times, like there was only so much he could say, and I didn't want him to leave because of my nosiness.

My eyes went to the kitten in his hand. She was the most troublesome cat in the shelter; equipped with the hate of being held. She usually would hiss, scratch, and bite anyone who picked her up. Yet here she was, being a complete angel in his presence. "Would you like to keep her?" I asked, watching the kitten purr and lick his finger.

"Keep her?" he repeated, surprised.

"Yeah, she likes you a lot."

"I'm not home very much," he frowned, as if he was disappointed in this fact.

"She'll keep you company for when you _are_ home." I said. I had no idea why I wanted him to keep her so much. I usually just let the conversation drop when it came to adopting an animal, but this time there was an unreasonable determination to have Collin adopt the small cat.

To my surprise Collin nodded -I had expected him to stand firm on not being able to adopt a pet. "That would be nice," he said softly and began to pet the kitten in his hand gently.

He placed an involuntary smile on my face. "Alright, let's go and fill out the paperwork." I said happily. I hated paperwork, but I was looking forward to have the excuse to stare at him.

"'Kay," he said. He followed me into the lobby and watched me as I pulled out a file of blank adoption papers. He set the small cat on the counter, who began to rub against his body.

When I handed him a paper and watched as he filled out the information. The pen looked fragile in his large hand. I looked at his writing, he had really good handwriting; I had expected it to be somewhat messy, but here I was being proved wrong. Every letter was clear; his hand writing them quickly with a sort of grace that I certainly could never achieve. "Um, if you want I could stop by your house and feed her and stuff if you can't." I offered.

His face glowed, and then dimmed. "La Push is a four hour drive from Seattle."

"I don't mind," I said quickly; thinking about the possibility of seeing Collin more and getting out of the city air. "My Aunt is going to be quitting her job, so I won't have to spend so much time here."

"You'd be sacrificing eight hours to driving."

"I know."

"That's a lot of time."

"Not really. I stay up late anyways."

"You should get more sleep."

"Are you trying to change the subject?"

The corner of his mouth turned up, "Is it working?"

"No, not really."

"Darn," he said, I couldn't tell if he was joking or if he was serious. I realized that he didn't want me to go to his house. I've only known him for two weeks; of course he didn't want me hanging around at his house. I'm just his supervisor; I've been getting too personal, I needed to back off or I'll push him away…but isn't that what I wanted? To push him away, so he won't ever meet the beautiful Jade. The sweet sister of mine that would make sure that he never saw that light of day again if he were to hurt me.

"Carolyn?" he asked, concerned because of my silence.

I managed a smile, mostly because he said my name. I love the way he says my name. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, his dark brown eyes deep with concern.

No, I'm not okay. I feel like my heart has been torn out and sewed back in by a three year old. My sister is a vampire whose existence threatens the innocent animals in the shelter. My parents are dead. My aunt works all the time and doesn't even know how to spell my name right. I'm in love with someone who doesn't want me back. Yeah, I'm okay. I have water, food, clothing, shelter, and an education. I have a sister that loves me and an aunt that was kind enough to take Jade and I in. I'm in love with the most amazing guy I have ever met, and he knows that I exist in the world. "I'm fine." I reply quietly, it feels like there is something stuck in my throat, preventing me from talking at normal volume.

Collin stared into my eyes; his eyes were dark and intense. I couldn't look away -not that I really wanted to, but I could feel myself being drawn to him and I was a little frightened that I would be unable to let him go. He then looked away, from shyness I guessed. "You don't have to come over to my house just to take care of a cat. We could hang out or go somewhere."

At first I wasn't sure if I was hearing correctly, but then I saw him blush -a sight barely visible due to his dark skin. Happiness swell up inside me, it is like there is a hot air balloon beneath my ribs. So before I know it, my emotions have taken over and I am giving him a hug with my arms wrapped around his waist and my face is nestled into his chest.

**-Collin-**

I was surprised. Pleasantly surprised. "I take that as a yes?" I say, not able to think of anything better. I would have liked to wrap my arms around her, but I was worried that I wouldn't let her go.

She let go of me and nodded, with a grin on her face. I was disappointed that the space between us had returned. I noticed that there was more distance than before; she was embarrassed at what she had just done.

"What's her name?" I ask, looking at the blank line on the adoption sheet.

"She doesn't have one. She's a stray that I picked up."

"Oh, any ideas?"

"Um…well she's orange. Let's base her name on that." Carolyn suggested, her eyes wandering the walls of the room -anywhere but me.

I tried to focus on the matter at hand; so I thought about all the names that were orange like. Tiger, Tangerine, Amber, Sunny, Cheddar, Ginger… "What about Ginger?" I ask.

"I like it," Carolyn agreed. I wrote "Ginger" on the line. I then finish filling out the wanted information.

"Done," I hand her the adoption paper. Carolyn looks it over to makes sure I didn't forget anything and walks over to the copy machine and copies it. She hands one to me and stuffs the other in the filing cabinet.

"Congrats," she says to Ginger, who was now rubbing her cheek against my elbow. Ginger yawned widely in response.

"Could you help me find the stuff she needs?" I ask, wanting to spend more time with Carolyn -anything other than taking care of the animals here.

"Of course." Carolyn replied with a smile, and happy eyes. Making me happy that she had returned eye contact with her sapphire eyes.

"Could we do that now?" I ask, hoping to sound casual. I needed to get her out of the animal shelter, where she would be much safer.

"Um, let me check. Hang on a sec." Carolyn goes over to the phone and dials a number.

I listen to it ring and ring until a woman's voice finally answers, "Hello?"

"Hey, Aunt Cleo, it's Carolyn. I was wondering if I could go shopping with a friend."

"Where are you going to be shopping at?"

"I was going to help them buy some pet supplies for their new kitten."

"Oh, that's very kind of you Carol, honey. Go on ahead. I want you home by ten."

"Thank you, Aunt Cleo, and don't worry -I'll be home by then. What time is it now?"

"A quarter past six."

"Okay, thanks. Bye." Carolyn hangs up. "Do you mind if we take your car?" she asks.

"No, not at all." I respond, happy that I was going to spend even more time with Carolyn and even happier that I had successfully convinced her to leave the building. One of the dogs was missing from its pen, which really isn't a big deal because it could have been adopted, but I wasn't fooled. The smell of bleach that the pen emitted burned my nose, but not nearly as much as the scent of a vampire. Whoever had their dinner, missed a spot in the corner of a pen where there was dry blood.

We got into my car, and I instantly wished that I was rich. If I was rich, I would own a really nice car. However, I'm not rich and all I have is an old jeep. An old jeep with some duct tape on the seats to cover up any rips in the material, a tape player that I've never used, and a fang necklace that hung from my rear-view mirror. The fang is from the time I was wrestling with Paul and got distracted. Some great memento, huh? Luckily, there was no trash in the car because Jake made me clean it out before I left it in his garage. Caroline clicked her seat belt into place as I turned the key in the ignition. The jeep started and I put on my seatbelt and drove down the road, taking Carolyn's directions.

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	4. Jade's Request

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Twilight series. **

"_**Love isn't a decision. It's a feeling. If we could decide who we loved; it would be much simpler, but much less magical." **_**-Trey Parker and Matt Stone**

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**-Carolyn-**

"Thanks for everything." Collin said as we pulled out of the store's parking lot.

"You're welcome. If there's anything else you need," I paused to pull out a pen from my pocket. I took his hand off the steering wheel -which probably wasn't so smart because he was driving but I didn't look up at his expression because I'm a coward- and wrote my phone number on the back of his hand. "Then call me, okay?" I reluctantly let go of his warm hand -which was soft and rough at the same time- and dared to look up at his face.

His eyes were on the road and there was a smile on his face, "I will. So is this your home phone or your cell?"

"Cell."

"Do you still have your pen?" he asked.

"Yeah." I answered, curious why he was asking me that.

The jeep slowed and then stopped at a red light. He turned to me and took my hand, "Pen, please." I gave him the pen. He wrote carefully on my hand. I smiled when I saw that it was a phone number. I wasn't being rejected. I felt so happy, I could have kissed him -but sadly I wasn't a bold person, so there would be no kissing tonight. "This is my cell. If you get voicemail, it may be because I have no signal."

"Does La Push get bad reception?" I asked, now feeling sad. 'No signal' could easily be an excuse, when in reality the 'ignore' button could had been pressed. Of course Collin was too polite to _not _give me his number. I mean, why would he be interested in someone like me? I'm average, and nothing more. I'm not funny, or smart, or beautiful. I don't have any special talents.

"Sorta. There are more trees than towers," he replied as he began to write down another number. "This is my friend's home phone; I'm over there a lot."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." I breathed out, relieved and happy that he gave me the second number. I felt guilty for thinking that Collin would hit the 'ignore' button on me. Maybe he really did want to get to know me better. The light turned green and the car moved forward once more. I heard a ripping noise coming from next to me, I looked down and gasped. Ginger was sharpening her claws on the seat; tearing the leather material. "Bad Ginger!" I scolded, flicking the kitten on the nose. Ginger hissed.

"Ginger," Collin said in a warning tone, not taking his eyes off of the road. Ginger, to my surprise, stopped hissing and licked my finger as if she was apologizing. I scooped her up and placed her on my lap; Ginger curled up and began to purr quietly. I smiled seeing her new blue collar hanging around her small neck. I petted her soft orange fur and looked out the windshield…

"So, where's your car?" Collin asked, pulling me out of my daydream.

"Huh?"

"Where's you car?" he repeated. I looked out of the window and saw that we were in front of the animal shelter.

"Oh, I walk to the animal shelter. My apartment is only a few blocks away."

"You're joking, right?" he asked, no traces of humor on his face.

"Why would I be joking?"

"It's dangerous to be walking on the streets alone."

"It's also saves gas."

Collin ran a hand through his hair, he was not happy with my choice of traveling, "I'll drive you home."

I opened my mouth to argue, but one stern look from him and I shut my mouth. I told him the directions to my house. Too soon, the car was in front of my apartment. I undid my seatbelt and removed Ginger from my lap, she responded with a glare. To my surprise, my door opened. Collin had opened the door for me. I blushed and exited the Jeep, "Thanks."

"Anytime," he replied, smiling.

My heart skipped a beat and then started up again, faster than usual. There was a silence; neither of us really knew what to say. I broke it because I had a subject that I've been meaning to talk about. The subject that I've been avoiding -even from my own thoughts. "You completed your hours today," I began, concentrating on making my voice smooth and calm. He had come over to the shelter everyday over the last two weeks, doing volunteer work for about three hours on average. All he needed was a half an hour and he had all of his required community service; finding Ginger and filling out her adoption papers equaled about that. "I never signed the sheet," I said, now procrastinating on the actual subject. He probably won't be volunteering at the animal shelter anymore. We lived four hours apart. Our friendship will be long-distance; contact will probably fade over time. Collin pulled out the service learning sheet from his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and pulled out my pen. I was afraid to look at him; seeing him would make it really hard to say good bye, to let him go. I wanted to ask him if I would see him again after today. I set the paper on my thigh, and signed the paper. I handed it to him. I foolishly made eye contact; his dark eyes were warm and kind as usual. He had a smile on his handsome face; revealing his straight white teeth.

He took the paper from me and stuffed it inside his pocket; he never took his eyes off of me, "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

My heart soared in hope. Please be asking me out. I stuffed my pen into my pocket and shook my head, "Mm-mm."

"Maybe we could hang out?" he asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

I smiled; as of now, I don't really care if our 'relationship' is going to be long distance. At least he was with me now. I was glad that I would see him again, but sad that he said "hang out". A.k.a. we were still only friends. "That would be great."

"Cool, would you like to see La Push? There are nice beaches -if you stay long enough, you could attend a bon fire."

"I'd like that. I'll talk to my Aunt about it and I'll call you after school lets out."

"Sure, sounds good."

"See you," I said, half turning towards my apartment.

"See you," he replied. I walked towards the apartment building; before I went inside I looked back over my shoulder. Collin was still standing where I had left him, we both smiled at each other. I finally went inside and shut the door behind me. I heard the sound of an engine start as I neared the end of the hallway. Before I could pull out my key, the door opened.

"There you are." Jade said, her golden eyes scolded me. "You weren't home when I came home, so I called Aunt Cleo."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jade!" I threw my arms around her. "I totally forgot to call you."

Jade gave me a small squeeze back and then suddenly let me go, "Ew! You _stink_. You smell like the animal shelter, I don't know what you've been in doing there, but it has had this awful smell for two weeks now. You'll definitely have to take a shower." Jade said as she stepped aside so I could come in. I entered while Jade shut the door behind me. I noticed a small detail on my way in, "You got a new chain for the bolt. Did Aunt Cleo notice that it was broken at all?"

"Nah. She doesn't pay _that _much attention."

I laughed, "What about a new knife?"

"Yeah, the old one just wouldn't flatten out." Jade frowned.

"Well, you bent it, what did you expect? Why didn't you get a chain bolt and a knife two weeks ago?"

"I was busy."

"Busy with what?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Well, I heard there is a coven in Forks that only eats animals too. I've been trying to get more information." Jade shrugged, trying to look casual.

"Well, that's good to hear that you aren't the only one who chooses to feed on animals." I sighed in relief, now knowing that Jade wasn't getting into any trouble, but also genuinely happy that not all vampires were bad. "Maybe you should go visit them and learn a few things."

"Would you please come with me? Please, Carolyn. I want to show them how dedicated I am to this diet, and you being there with me would make a big statement. And I don't really want to tell our story by myself. Please Lynnie?"

Oh, man. She only used my nickname unless she really wanted something. "And you're positive that they don't feed on humans?"

"Absolutely. Their leader is centuries old! I could learn so much about myself. Maybe I can even learn about how to track down _them_. Oh please, Lynnie, please come with me."

"Okay, Jade. When are we going to visit them?"

"Let's go tomorrow."

Uh-oh. "I can't, Jade. Not tomorrow -I have plans." I told her, looking away from her gold eyes.

"With who?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"My friend."

"I haven't seen Ellie in ages; could I hang out with you guys?" her face lit up; she liked seeing people that she hadn't seen in a while.

I hesitated. Jade leaned forward slightly in anticipation. "Um, it's not Ellie." I finally say.

"Who is it with?" Jade's brow furrowed in confusion.

"A new friend."

"And you haven't told me about her?" Jade looked hurt, but then her face lit up at the idea of meeting someone new. "What's her name? What's she like?"

I bit my lip.

Jade saw this, "Carolyn May Andrews, is this friend of yours a _guy_?"

I nodded. Ugh, I felt kinda sick.

Jade's topaz eyes narrowed, "How long have you known him?"

"Two weeks."

"Spill," she demanded.

"Okay, okay. His name is Collin. He lives in La Push, he needed service learning hours and so he's been volunteering at the animal center for a couple of weeks. He's simply amazing, Jade."

"Amazing, huh? I can't believe you have a crush on a guy that you've only known for two weeks, that is so unlike you, Carolyn." Jade crossed her arms. I couldn't say anything back because I couldn't deny that I have a crush on Collin -it was the truth. Jade interpreted my silence easily, "I was hoping you would deny it but I guess you can't, huh?"

I nodded, feeling guilty. I had allowed someone become closer to my heart than my own sister. We had always been close, and now I was ruining that special bond.

"We can talk after you take a shower. You really do stink."

I took a shower, like Jade wanted me to. Afterwards, I dried off and pulled on my pj's. I sat on my bed and faced Jade on hers -we shared a room. I waited for her to speak.

"I'll have to meet Collin before you go anywhere with him." Jade said firmly.

"You aren't going to scare him off are you?" I would hate her for a long time if she threatened him.

"If I don't like him, hell yes."

I glared at her, "Jade, you're my sister and I love you, but this is taking things too far. I should be able to choose my friends without your judgment."

"I'm trying to protect you, Carolyn."

"You aren't protecting me, you're restricting me."

"Restricting you from getting hurt."

"Collin isn't going to hurt me."

"You can't know that."

"I _do _know. I can feel it down to my very core, Jade. My instincts tell me that he would never hurt me. It's like we were made for each other -I feel like I've known him for years."

"But you _haven't_ known him for years. Carolyn, it is because of me that our parents are dead and I'm the way I am. It is because I brought home a man that I barely knew. I will not let that happen to you."

"Not everyone is a vampire, Jade."

"Not everyone is worthy of your trust. You shouldn't give it out so easily."

"I don't give my trust out easily. I never have, but Collin is different. I don't know how to explain it, but he is. I get that same feeling I get when I'm with you; I feel _safe_."

Jade let out a snarl, I jumped in surprise. "End of discussion! You are not going to be seeing him without me meeting him first, and if you try to do otherwise. I will stop you -vampire abilities and all."

I didn't respond. Or, I _couldn't _respond. Jade had never ever snarled at me. She was never angry with me, and she never had been. I was scared. I just stared at her with wide eyes. I was holding my breath; it felt like I was underwater, if I exhaled then I was doomed to drown.

Jade's butterscotch eyes softened, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Carolyn. I didn't mean to scare you." She wrapped her stone arms around me gently.

I found that I was able to breathe normally again, "You can meet Collin." I whispered. "I was planning on seeing him after school. If you want, we can leave early in the morning and skip school. That way we can meet that vampire coven still."

Jade released me, showing me her straight white teeth in a grin. She then kissed me on the cheek, "Oh, thank you Lynnie! I'm so glad that you're coming with me!"

Yep, nothing like meeting a coven of vampires.

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	5. Sisters

**I have to say, I'm kinda disappointed that no one has reviewed the 5****th**** chapter and here I am, done with the 6****th****. Hmm, I guess this kind of reflects how much of a life I have. Oh well, at least you guys have more material to read. You're all more important than the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And what do you think about the quotes that I am starting to put before the chapter? **

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer, sadly.**

"_**Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives."**_** -A. Sachs**

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**-Carolyn-**

_Thunder cracked through the cold air. Rain poured down on my back, making me shiver. It was getting more and more difficult to run. There was a blur of white and suddenly I was on the ground. Sharp teeth and blood-red eyes gleamed above me. David's soft blonde hair brushed my cheek. He leaned down towards me and I tried to get away but I was efficiently pinned down by his strength. I could feel his cold breath on my face. I shivered again, terrified. My breathing turned into quick shallow breaths. He leaned down and my heart was nearly jumping out of my chest; he was going to bite me._

"_Carolyn," he murmured, his icy lips on my neck. I could feel sharp points on my skin. _

"Carolyn!" a familiar voice called to me, sounding distant and worried. "Carolyn!" Jade called me again, now shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes; my vision was blurry. Hot liquid stung my eyes and cheeks. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, relieved to find that they were tears and not blood. My clothes felt damp from perspiration. Jade pulled me into a cold hug; I hugged her back tightly, David's voice echoing in my ears. "If we don't leave soon, we won't have much time to talk to the coven today." Jade whispered, rubbing comforting circles on my back. I took a deep breath and nodded. We let each other go as I exhaled. "Take a shower and get dressed."

I stood up and headed for the bathroom, but then turned around, "H-hey, Jade?"

"Hey, what?"

I laughed shakily, "Hey, Jade."

"Hey, what? You goof."

"Did you really want to join _his_ world?"

Jade sighed, "You had that nightmare again. Maybe you shouldn't come with me to meet the coven."

"No, I'll come with you. I promised I would."

Jade frowned, "I'm not going to make you keep a promise like that because I'm a coward, Carolyn."

"You aren't a coward, Jade. You are the bravest person I know. I _will_ go with you. Besides we're sisters; we have to look out and support each other."

Jade smiled; her teeth normal and perfect, "Thanks, Lynnie."

"You never answered my question."

Jade's smile faded. "I wanted to be apart of his life, not apart of his world."

"What about now?"

"You know how I feel."

"I want to hear it in words from you."

"You're being nosy today."

I smiled; Jade had a strange way of cheering me up. "Come on, don't avoid the question."

"I hate him, and yet I'm jealous of _her_. She has him for eternity, and I have no one. I suppose, I would still love him if it wasn't for the fact that she was his mate long before I came around." her voice sounded sad and lonely, but her tone quickly changed spiteful when she added, "I was his toy -he only changed me for the fun of it. I really hate him for that, and if he ever crosses my path I'm going to give him a hell lot more than he gave me." Jade's hand instinctively went to the crescent shaped scar on her pale neck.

"Jade, don't change who you are."

"And who am I?"

"You're my sister; my loving, caring, and -god forbid- overprotective sister. Don't change who you are by wanting revenge, Jade. You are so much better than that."

"You know, if I could cry, I'd be bawling right now. You know that, right?" Jade said with a grateful smile. We both cracked up laughing.

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**Yeah, it's a short chapter, the next one is longer -I promise! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to send me a review, you know I love those.**


	6. The Cullens

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight Series.**

"_**The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand."**_** -Frank Herbert**

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**-Carolyn-**

Jade held my hand as we neared the beautiful white house. It had three stories and everything was in perfect proportion. The atmosphere was welcoming, even with the cloudy forecast. I heard Jade take a deep unneeded breath as we stepped in front of the door. She raised her fist to knock, but the door opened. There stood a tall man with honey blonde hair. He was lean in structure, and had dark eyes. A breeze brushed against my back, making my light brown hair blow into my face. One second I was standing in awe of the incredibly handsome male, and the next I was on the ground in shock with him on top of me. His eyes were wild and his smile was just like David's. Fear tore up my insides at the similarity. He was going to bite me, his humanity was long gone. Jade tore the vampire off and threw him into a nearby tree. He quickly got up and went into a crouched position; his lips curled back and a low growl came from his chest. Jade let out an answering snarl, protectively stepping in front of me.

Suddenly, there were more vampires, two of them holding back the first. One was a male and was muscular, he had dark brown hair. The other was a female, who was stunningly beautiful -even for a vampire. She had blonde hair and was the definition of perfect. There were three more vampires. One of them faced the growling vampire; she was short and pixie like she had black spiky hair. The other two vampires faced Jade and I; they appeared to be the oldest. The male vampire had wavy blonde hair and looked like a movie star. The female had a motherly aura to her and had caramel colored hair. I got to my feet and clung to Jade's arm, conveying that I was okay and that I didn't want her to fight anymore.

"My deepest apologies about that. Jasper has the most trouble with our way of life -we were just about to go hunting when you arrived," explained the oldest male vampire. "My name is Carlisle Cullen," he introduced himself, cautiously stepping forward. Carlisle extended his hand. Jade stared at him for a moment, and then smiled; she shook his hand. The atmosphere lightened considerably. I noticed that Jasper and his restraining vampires were no where in sight; the pixie-vampire was also missing. "This is my wife, Esme." Carlisle introduced her, releasing my sister's hand.

"Hello," said Esme, stepping forward and taking Jade's hand. "I hope we didn't frighten you too much," she looked at me and then frowned. "But I can see that we have, we're very sorry about that."

I didn't understand what she was talking about until I realized that I was shaking. My body was afraid but my mind wasn't; I _understood_. I wanted to show the Cullen's how I really felt; determination built up inside of me. I let go of Jade's arm, then I stepped in front of her and held out my hand to the two gorgeous vampires, "Hello, my name is Carolyn and this is my sister, Jade." Carlisle and Esme were surprised; their eyes were wide and their mouths were open slightly. I couldn't help but giggle. "I don't bite, really." Jade, Carlisle, and Esme both cracked up at this. They calmed down after a few seconds though.

"It is nice to meet you, Carolyn." Carlisle and Esme said in unison, which brought another round of laughter. When were calm once again, they shook my hand.

"Let's talk inside," suggested Carlisle. Jade nodded in agreement.

The inside of their house, was absolutely stunning. It was so open and welcoming; I couldn't help but smile. Jade and I followed the couple into the living room. We sat in our respective seats, pairings sitting opposite of the other.

"I don't know where to begin." Jade admitted sheepishly. I took her hand to ease her anxiety, Jade needed support when she wasn't her usual confident and outgoing self.

"Why don't you start with why you have come here?" Carlisle suggested in a polite and soothing voice.

Jade nodded. "I wanted to meet other vampires who didn't feed on humans. I wanted to learn from your coven."

Carlisle smiled. "We are not a coven. We are a family," he corrected in a soft tone, pride and happiness filled his eyes.

Jade squeezed my hand a little tighter, "That's lovely." I felt proud to be at Jade's side. She placed her trust in me, and I was the only family member she chose.

"Would you mind telling us your story, Jade?" Esme asked in a motherly tone. Carlisle and Esme's eyes reflected great curiosity.

Jade looked at me and I nodded in encouragement. "Alright." Jade said. "I'll first tell you how I got bitten." Jade then told the story and I informed everyone that I had hid in the storage space under the closet. Jade looked at me in awe and sadness; she had always wondered where I was but at the same time, she wished that I hadn't witnessed the whole event.

"How did you, er, handle Jade's transformation, Carolyn?" Carlisle asked.

Jade looked at me; her eyes were full of curiosity -we had never discussed this. She let go of my hand. I gave her a small smile and then turned to face Carlisle and Esme, "I was terrified. I didn't know what had happened. All I knew is that her freak of a boyfriend left a bleeding scar on her neck. At first I figured that I should call 911 or something, but she had asked me not to. I remember her screaming, saying she was burning." I winced at the memory, pushing the past echoes out of my head and continued, "I simply stayed by her side and held her hand."

"All three days?" Carlisle asked his eyes full of sympathy.

I nodded.

"What about eating?" Esme asked.

"I didn't eat, drink, or sleep. I was too scared to enter the kitchen because our parents were still there. And I was afraid to go too far from Jade's side. I passed out right after Jade's transformation was complete." I held back the tears that were threatening to spill. I remembered feeling sick from the smell of my parent's corpses, and feeling faint from not eating or sleeping. I remembered how I couldn't cry as I felt Jade's body turn cold beneath my fingertips because I was too dehydrated. I remembered feeling her pulse stop as her heart took its last beat before it went into a silent sleep. Esme got up and then came back with a handkerchief. "Thank you," I said softly, taking the white cloth from her. Jade rubbed soothing circles on my back. I took a deep breath before I asked Jade the two questions I've wanted to know for two years. "Why were you gone when I woke up? Why were you missing for a year?"

Jade dropped her hand from my back and sighed, "I was protecting you."

"You've already told me that." I pointed out, making it clear that I wanted a better answer.

"When I got to my senses. I found you with my hand and yours, and I was terrified by the instinct that had come over me. I wanted to drink your blood, Carolyn. I wanted to drink you dry and I nearly did, I was _so_ close. I could feel your pulse from my hand, and I could hear it. I could just smell your blood. It was all so tempting. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I noticed that you were weak. You were just as pale as me…" Jade trailed off getting lost into her thoughts. She then snapped back into reality, "I then heard a car door slam. I somehow had enough sanity in me to realize that more people would die if I stayed so I ran out the back door as fast as I could. Who was that anyways?"

"It was Aunt Cleo, coming down to do her annual visit." I replied softly. "When I woke up, I was in the hospital."

"I wonder why the authorities didn't say anything about our parents having no blood in them." Jade wondered aloud.

"I think I know the answer to that." Carlisle said. "It was probably the Volturi's doing."

"Who's the Volturi?" Jade asked

Carlisle was about to answer when a person ran into the room. I jumped in surprise. It was yet another vampire; he had bronze colored hair and was stunning. His ocher eyes were worried, but they narrowed as soon as they locked onto us. He then turned to Carlisle, obviously wanting an explanation. Then _another _vampire entered the room. She had long dark brown hair and was also beautiful.

"Edward," she began, clearly about to scold him, but she quickly noticed Jade and I and shut her mouth. Her eyes went to Carlisle as well.

"Edward, Bella, these are our guests. Jade (he gestured to Jade) and Carolyn (he gestured to me). We were just about to explain a few things to them when you two arrived." Carlisle clarified.

"Jasper attacked her." Edward stated, not asked.

Bella gasped and turned to me, "How are you holding up?" Bella asked, sounding sincerely concerned.

"Oh, I'm great." I replied, smiling at her timidly.

"You truly don't know what the Volturi is?" Edward asked, turning to Jade.

"Am I supposed to?" Jade questioned, her tone defensive.

"It would be for the best. Especially since Carolyn is in danger if they ever hear about you."

Fear flooded Jade's eyes and I took her hand to calm her down. "Please tell me everything you know." Jade whispered.

Edward nodded. "To put it simply, the Volturi is the largest coven in the world. They are the government of vampires. They have three leaders and multiple members, and that is not even including their guard. It is there job to make sure that the existence of vampires is never exposed to humans, and they enforce their rules swiftly and without mercy. They will kill anyone who breaks the rules." Edward said. When he saw the look on our faces, he quickly added, "There have been, however, exceptions." Jade let out a relieved sigh. "She is standing in front of you."

Jade and I couldn't help but stare in awe at Bella, but then Jade realized why. "They had you turn her into a vampire." Jade gasped in horror.

"Well, they did want me to become a vampire, I won't lie," said Bella. "But I had also wanted to become one before they demanded it."

"Why?" Jade asked, probably not realizing that she had just pried into Bella's personal information.

Instead of feeling insulted, Bella smiled. "Because I loved Edward."

This made me begin to think, it would be so much easier if I was a vampire. The Volturi wouldn't have any reason to kick down our door. I would stop aging and be able to keep Jade company forever. What would Collin think if I was a vampire? Tears began to fill up my eyes at this thought, I would have to tell him good bye. I would have to run away from Aunt Cleo before she figures out that Jade and I can't age; and Jade's time was nearly up. She was nineteen and looked like a sixteen year old. I would have to leave everyone and everything behind. A sob shook my frame. How incredibly selfish I had been! I never noticed the very tight situation that Jade was in. I never noticed why she never brought her friends over -she didn't have any. She knew that she was going to leave soon and never bothered to gain any sort of companionship. I realized the true reason why Jade was so desperate to keep me away from Collin; she was going to leave soon and she needed to know that I was going to be okay. Jade was-

"Carolyn." Edward said, interrupting my thoughts. "Calm down. She never had any intention of leaving you."

My eyes widened in shock. Was he read-

"Yes, I can read thoughts. You need to calm down."

"You can read minds?!" Jade exclaimed, jumping to her feet -a habit she tended to do in excitement.

"Yes. Jasper can feel other's emotions as well as manipulate them. Alice can see the future. Oh, Alice is the short one. That one's Rosalie. The big guy is Emmett." Edward answered my thoughts. "No, Emmett is just really strong. Rosalie is very pig-headed, so that could be considered a power." Edward said with a smirk on his face. He suddenly ducked, dodging what looked like a piano bench.

"Damn, I nearly hit you too," said Rosalie, entering the room with her arms crossed.

"You were way off." Edward scoffed.

"Now, now, play nicely." Emmett said in a fake reprimanding tone, his booming voice echoing off of the walls. Jade and I couldn't help but giggle at the sibling rivalry being played out before us. Rosalie and Emmett heard us and turned to us. "So why the heck did you bring a human with you?" he asked Jade, his tone light.

"She's my sister." Jade replied coolly.

"How the hell does that work out?" Emmett asked, not even trying to hide his surprise. I giggled; his nature was very comical, it made the atmosphere very easy going.

"I'll explain to all of you later," said Carlisle, sensing that we would rather not explain it all again. I felt relieved and thankful that Carlisle had stepped in.

"How's Jasper?" Jade asked, whether she was changing the subject or really concerned, I couldn't tell.

Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other; finally Rosalie answered, "He's a bit shaken up, but he'll be okay. He's with Alice."

"What about me?" asked a soprano voice. Alice then came into view, holding hands with a light-eyed Jasper, who was staring down at the ground.

"Don't feel bad." Jade said soothingly to Jasper. "I would have done the same. I hunt _everyday_, and even then it is still a challenge."

Jasper gave Jade a small smile, "Thank you." Jasper then turned to me, his smile faded. "Are you okay?"

I remembered what Edward had said about Jasper being able to feel other's emotions. I sent Jasper a wave of understanding and smiled at him. Jasper raised an eyebrow, but smiled nevertheless. Alice beamed. I felt my muscles completely relax; Jasper was probably manipulating my emotions, giving me a calm feeling. I noticed that Jade had relaxed to. I appreciated the calm sensation. Jasper nodded as if to say "_You're welcome."_

"Carolyn, may I speak to you privately?" Edward asked.

I felt confused by the sudden request, but Jasper quickly intervened making me calm once more. Bella gave Edward a worried look, one full of love. It made me wish that Collin would look at me like that. Edward gave Bella a quick kiss (another thing I wanted from Collin), nodded to Jasper, and then led me out of the room.

"What is it, Edward?" I asked, noticing his troubled eyes.

"It's about Collin," he began. I felt numb, and I suddenly knew why Edward had nodded to Jasper beforehand. I knew I was going to feel worried, dreading what Edward was going to say and also curious about how Edward knew Collin, but Jasper was good at using his powers even if he was in another room. "You need to be careful around him."

"Collin won't hurt me." I replied.

"Just don't get him angry."

"What do you know that you aren't telling me?"

"I don't think it is my place."

"I'm still going to see him." I said stubbornly. "And I will continue to meet him, even if Jade says that I can't."

"She doesn't want you to?" Edward asked.

"Jade doesn't like the idea of a boy in my life but as soon as she meets him, I'm sure that she'll approve. Collin just one of those people that you can get along with easily."

Edward's eyes widened, "Collin and Jade are going to _meet_?"

"I still have to call him and let him know, Jade insisted."

"That is a very, very _bad_ idea."

"Why?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. He then sighed, "Jasper, you're in for a rollercoaster."

"I think I got it handled." Jasper replied, able to hear due to his vampire abilities.

"Someone should take Jade outside." Edward warned.

Jade then entered the room, her eyes burning full of intensity. Jasper had obviously been focusing on me only. "Edward, I don't mean to sound rude, but you better tell me. I want to know everything about this Collin guy. You have no right to withhold that kind of information from me."

"He does because it isn't any of your business, Jade." I snapped.

"It is my business." Jade snapped back.

"No, it is _my _business. Now go outside Jade."

"There is no way in hell that you can make me."

"Edward!" I whined, pleading with him using my thoughts not to tell Jade.

He looked conflicted; Jade was probably pleading with him to tell her. My mind went blank as Jasper numbed my emotions, Jade had a dazed expression. I guess I wasn't the only person Jasper had numbed. "Alice?" Edward questioned.

"With Collin in the picture, I can't see their futures." Alice responded. Why would Collin affect our futures like that?

Edward sighed, "Okay, Jade. You can stay." Jade smiled. I frowned, Edward was going to tell her what he originally wasn't. "Vampires aren't the only mythological creature around here. There are werewolves. Collin is a part of La Push's very own werewolf pack," said Edward.

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**End of chapter. Dun. Dun. Dunnnnnn. Lol. I'm so weird. **


	7. Little Red Riding Hood's Grandmother

**Thank you to all who reviewed!! This chapter is for you guys!!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer, though I so wish I was at times**

"**Anger is a signal, and one worth listening to." -Harriet Lerner**

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**-Carolyn-**

Jade's smile faded fast, quickly turning into a grimace. She turned and faced me. "I don't care how great he is, there is no way in hell that I am letting you see a werewolf! Call him up right now and tell him that you can't see him today or ever again."

"He's at school." I replied, Jasper still having firm control over me. Why wasn't he affecting Jade? Frustration that I couldn't feel swirled inside me.

"Do I look like I give a damn?" Jade hissed.

I winced; Jade being angry at me was something I wasn't used to. "Jade, please, no." I whispered.

"No," said Jade firmly.

All of a sudden my emotions came crashing into me, more powerful than before. Fear and rage being the most powerful. "I don't fucking care, Jade!" I screamed at her. She took a step back surprised by my sudden and rare show of anger. "I am going to see Collin! Go run away now; I'm sure Aunt Cleo is beginning to wonder why her nineteen year old niece hasn't aged!"

Pain was etched onto every line of Jade's face, but I was too angry to care. Her pain turned into fury, "So you're choosing a werewolf over me? Your own sister?"

That went straight into my heart, making my eyes fill up with tears. "No, Jade, no. Of course not."

"Then start acting like it."

"You know I love you, Jade." I whispered, trying to fight away the building guilt.

"No, I don't think I do right now. If you truly cared about me, Carolyn, you would promise not to see him again."

My rage started up again, "If_ you_ really cared about me, Jade, you wouldn't make me choose! I can't help the way I feel about him, okay? I need to see him."

"You are not seeing him!"

Jade's stubbornness was ticking me off. Well, I can be stubborn too. I spun around and walked out of the kitchen. I saw the Cullen's surprised faces in my peripheral vision as I strode through the living room. I could feel Jade's presence closely behind me. "Don't make me use my vampire strength to keep you here, Carolyn." Jade threatened.

Jade's threat pushed me over the edge, I grabbed the pen I always kept in my pocket and tossed the cap to the side. I took the ball of the pen and pressed it against the skin of my palm, "Don't make me use my humanity against you, Jade."

Jade froze, her eyes widened in a panicked look. "You…you wouldn't really, would you?"

"I will." I said firmly through clenched teeth. "Won't I Alice?" I asked a little louder.

Alice let go of Jasper's hand and put hers on Jade's shoulder, shaking her head and wearing an expression that I couldn't place. By the look on Jade's face, if she could cry she would be. Jade stepped back, away from me. She avoided my eyes.

I turned and ran as fast as I could out of the house. I ran until I reached the car. I climbed inside, breathing heavily. I then sobbed, regretting saying "yes" to meet the Cullens. I never wanted to fight with Jade and say those hurtful words or threaten her, knowing that she was only keeping my safety in mind. I never wanted to know that at anytime the Volturi could either kill me or demand that I join their world. I never wanted to know that sweet, gorgeous Collin was a werewolf -something that did and yet didn't make sense. I can't have both Jade and Collin, vampire and werewolf. I didn't know much about werewolves, but I know from movies and books that they had always been the vampire's greatest enemy. More so, I never wanted to have such a good reason to make today the last I would ever see him.

After a good five minutes, I was able to click my seatbelt into place and drive away. I pulled out Ginger's adoption form from my pocket and reread the address that Collin had written the day before. I wiped at my eyes swiftly and swallowed the lump that had formed down my throat. I didn't turn on the radio, the silence helped me think. What was I going to say when Collin enters his house and I'm already there? I could probably say that my Aunt needed help at the animal shelter, so I was excused from attending class. What are we going to do today? Oh yeah, the beach. That sounds nice, I began to feel giddy. I was going to be with Collin all afternoon. My giddiness vanished when I wondered how was I going to tell him goodbye. Goose-bumps rose on my arm when I found that I didn't have an answer.

I finally spotted a lone house surrounded by forest; the mail box had the identical number that was on the page. I smiled -being unable to stop it- and pulled in the driveway. I stepped out of the car, leaving the adoption paper inside, and headed towards the house. I bit my lip as I stood before the door. What if someone was home? What if someone came here before Collin? I decided that I had come too far to let childish fears get to me. I turned the doorknob and wasn't very surprised when it opened. Collin was a laid back guy, I didn't think of him as the type to lock the door. I entered and shut the door behind me. A meow made me jump nearly two feet in the air. Ginger meowed again and rubbed against my leg, purring. I scowled at her, but she took no notice. I knelt down and petted her. Ginger's purring grew louder, she then spotted my light brown hair dangling down toward her and she began to swat at it playfully. I laughed and stood up. I walked over to the couch and laid down. I glanced over at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner; it was going to be another hour before Collin's class even ended. I closed my eyes and thought of Collin's smiling face.

**-Collin-**

I rested my head on my arms. I was _so _tired. I had stayed up late telling the pack what I had smelled (and saw) at the animal shelter and then couldn't sleep because I was worried about Carolyn. I also had that stupid detention at six in the morning. I could hear the clock ticking from where I sat because everything was quiet due to test taking. I had finished mine earlier than everyone else. What was the point of participating in class when I didn't really need to just to know the material? The clock was mocking me with every "tic", and every "tock". I smiled as an idea formed in my head. I rose my hand, and made my face look desperate.

"What is it, Collin?" the teacher asked.

"I need to use the restroom."

"Fine, go on ahead."

I leapt up from my seat and out the door. I then walked swiftly out of the school. I didn't want to dirty my clothes by running, so I hopped in my car and drove to my house. I needed to prepare for Carolyn's visit. I was, much to my surprise, too late to prepare. Carolyn was already at my house, sleeping on the couch. She looked so peaceful that I couldn't bear to wake her up. I knelt by her side and stared at her -a luxury since I never had the chance to examine her features closely or for a long period of time. Her long eyelashes was brushed against her smooth cheek, her pink lips were parted slightly, her silky light brown hair was not in its usual ponytail so it flowed onto her shoulder. The layers in her hair gave it a wavy look. I would have inhaled her mango scent deeply if it wasn't for the fact that it had been contaminated by a sickeningly sweet smell; I recognized it quickly, the Cullens. There was another scent, the one from the animal shelter. What the hell was going on? My frame started to shake, but another look at Carolyn and the shaking stopped. I didn't want to ruin the day by talking about vampires. I sighed. I had no clue what I was going to do about it. I can't just ask her, she might not even know that the Cullens were vampires. I stood up and removed the folded blanket from the top of the couch and placed it on Carolyn, who unconsciously snuggled deeper into its folds. I ignored the burning in my nose and breathed in her scent, the mango smell was still there and it made me smile. I knelt beside her again, and watched her sleep…

At some point in time, I had fallen asleep myself because I woke up. I just so happened to wake up in a very awkward position; Carolyn had rolled off of the couch and onto me. What was "worse" was that I had a terrible habit of clinging to things while I slept; so I was hugging Carolyn close to me. Oh no, it didn't stop there; our legs were intertwined with each others, leaving no space between us. Just when I thought it could _not_ get any more embarrassing, I found that Carolyn was awake.

**(A/N: By the way, I'm dedicating this next part (it was originally a separate ch) to Sarbear037 for being the first to review on the previous part!! She also helped get rid of my author's block!! So thank you Sarbear037! This is the rewrite, remember? I combined some chapters)**

**-Collin-**

"Er, you're kinda heavy," she said, a blush turning her cheeks -one was on my chest- a bright pink. I could feel Carolyn's heart beating erratically and quickly; the rhythm strangely similar to my own. Her small waist was ensnared by my arm; keeping her flat stomach firmly against me. My other arm ran up her spine -which also pinned her chest against me- and my hand was cupping the back of her head; lost in her soft light brown hair. I could tell her pants leg had ridden up because I could feel the smooth skin of her ankle on the back of my calf; the skin-to-skin contact sent a shiver up my back. As much as I wanted to be bold and take advantage of the situation, I was much more concerned about hurting her. We were in a pretty tight situation (literally) and any sudden movements on my part could really hurt her. Then Ginger decided that she was going to help make things even cozier by jumping on top of Carolyn. I estimated that Ginger had decided to curl up on Carolyn's butt. "Ginger!" Carolyn hissed. The orange cat paid no attention.

"Ginger." I said with as much authority as I could muster, "Get off." Ginger opened an eye lazily and yawned. She closed the eye and went back to sleep. I sighed. "I'm sorry about this."

"Don't worry about it." Carolyn said, the corner of her mouth turning up in a smile.

I moved my arms off of Carolyn. "Try moving your legs -I don't want to hurt you," I said.

"I'd need some elevation to do that and I can't get up with Ginger on me -I could hurt her, she's just a kitten."

"Hmm, we're in quite a predicament aren't we?" I laughed, hoping to make Carolyn feel a little more comfortable.

"Yeah." Carolyn laughed nervously, "Um, I think I know a way though."

"Go on."

"_You_ could take Ginger off of me; I don't think I'll be able to grab her right. I'm sure she'll bit me if I try." Carolyn explained.

"Okay, um, I'll try and get her off of you. Ah, please just don't slap me." I said, worried that she would hurt herself by hitting me. I remembered the story of how Bella Swan broke her hand from punching Jacob; I didn't want the same thing for Carolyn.

"I won't," promised Carolyn.

"Okay." I said, trusting her. I put my hand on her lower back. I heard Carolyn breathe in sharply and then I could feel air blow gently on me as she exhaled.

"Lower," she directed. "To the left, now lower, keep going." Her heart was pounding in a quick jagged rhythm as my hand went further down. I could tell she was forcing herself to breathe normally, while I was holding my breath altogether.

"Found her." I said, relieved that my moment of being a pervert was over. I brought my other hand onto Ginger as well so I could avoid _scooping_ her off of Carolyn. So now my arms were basically around Carolyn's body once more. I picked Ginger up carefully, putting her into one hand, I then set her down on the floor beside us. Ginger woke up and licked my finger and began to rub against my arm. I shooed her away. "Okay we're all clear." I told Carolyn, dropping my arms back to my side.

"Okay." Carolyn said, barely above a whisper. She pushed herself off of me and slid her legs away from mine. Carolyn then got up to her feet and held out her hand to help me up, which was kind of funny because there was no way she could actually pull me up. I took her hand anyway and stood up -with a very little help on her part. There was an awkward silence.

**-Carolyn-**

My heart was still unevenly beating, and I had my breath caught in my throat. My skin was still blazing from being in such a close proximity with Collin. I was fighting a lost battle -there was no way that I could say goodbye and never see him again. All my logic had melted away while I was in his arms, leaving me with all of my emotions that I felt towards him.

"Um, so did you have a nice nap?" Collin asked. I nodded, looking into his warm eyes. "I wasn't expecting you until after school," he said lightly.

"It _is _after school." I replied, pointing to the clock with a teasing smile on my face.

Collin chuckled -I loved it when he laughed- and smiled, "True. Very true. Um, are you hungry for anything?"

I realized that I was hungry. I didn't have much of a breakfast and that was hours ago. "Starved."

"There isn't anything good here, but I know a place where we can go."

"Oh, I'll pay for myself." I said sheepishly, not wanting him to spend money on me.

"Where we're going, it's free."

"Really?"

"Yep. We're going to my friend's house. His name is Sam and his wife, Emily, makes the best food. I actually gave you their home phone number."

"Oh! Okay, then." I replied, remembering.

"Afterwards we could go to the beach if you'd like."

"Yeah, I would. That sounds great." I said, smiling. Collin returned one if the sweetest smiles I had seen. He casually wrapped an arm around my shoulder and we walked out the door -I had a little more bounce in my step.

**-Time skip- (A/N: I don't feel like making up and amount, lol.)**

Collin and I stepped out of the jeep. I could hear laughter coming from inside the small house. I looked at Collin questionably. "My friends are already here, don't worry about them -they're cool." He answered my curious eyes. "Well, for the most part," he added. I laughed and took his hand, feeling bold after he had put an arm around me earlier. He grinned and held on to my hand as he led me towards the house. "Oh, and try not to stare at Emily. Sam doesn't like that too much."

"Um, could you tell me why?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Half of her face is scarred from a bear attack," he said softly. I nodded, but the pit of my stomach felt strangely cold. My instincts told me whatever I was about to see, was _not _from a bear. I unconsciously squeezed Collin's hand tighter. "Don't worry about it," he said in a soothing voice. I gave him a small smile and turned my attention to the house in front of us. Collin didn't knock, he simply entered like it was his own home. I followed closely and saw that we had entered a small kitchen. I doubted it was actually small, but there were eight other people the size of Collin in there. They were all similar to each other, tall, dark skinned, and stunning. The males wore no shirts, and the one female wore a tang top. The other female in the kitchen was only an inch taller than my five foot seven, she was very beautiful, but only half of her face was smiling. Collin's friends were seated around the table, making the table look small and in danger.

"This is Carolyn." Collin introduced me.

"Hello." I greeted sheepishly. Collin then told me everyone's names. The pack was staring at me; their noses were wrinkled. It was if I smelled or something. I couldn't possibly smell; I had taken a shower this morning. I shifted; uncomfortable under their gaze.

**-Collin-**

I growled, making sure it was too low for Carolyn to hear. The pack instantly rearranged their faces to look welcoming. Jacob left the room. I felt a stab of guilt, I probably shouldn't have brought Carolyn here when she smelled like the Cullens. _Sorry, _I told the pack through my eyes. They replied with an understanding look.

"Let's eat." I said to Carolyn. The pack began to talk quietly to each other.

Carolyn nodded. We grabbed a plate and piled on the food that Emily had cooked, my pile being larger that Carolyn's. "You can eat all that?" Carolyn asked with wide eyes.

"And still have room for seconds." I replied, taking a bite of food.

Carolyn laughed, "Is there enough room for Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother for dessert?"

I began to choke on my food. The pack went quiet, wondering whether her words were just a fluke or if she actually knew something. Paul came up and gave me a good pound on the back, which stopped the choking instantly. "Heh, I don't know if I have that much room, Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother is a big lady."

The pack laughed nervously. Small talk was made while we ate. When I saw that Carolyn finished, I pushed my plate aside and suggested that we go to the beach. Carolyn glanced at my half full plate and raised an eyebrow, but I took her hand and led her out. I was going to ask her a few questions about visiting the Cullens, and if they told her anything particular about me.

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**To chapter 8!!**


	8. Injunction

**Thank you for your support!! You people are awesome!! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Twilight series. **

"**There is no remedy for love but to love more." -Henry David Theoreau **

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**-Carolyn-**

The beach was absolutely beautiful, even though it was cloudy. The waves gave off a soothing sound and the air was salty but much fresher than Seattle's smoggy atmosphere. I could see the cliffs from where we were; they were jagged and the sea crashed against its base. The wind was chilly, but I had Collin as my personal portable heater so I was warm. I was perfectly content with my hand in his. Carolyn plus Collin plus beach equals happiness. Collin began to hum a low tune. I looked at him with a large smile on my face, "You sing?"

Collin chuckled, "Kinda. I can hum and whistle better though."

"What were you humming?"

"A song."

"What kind of song?"

"One that goes back generations ago. It's been in my family for a long time."

"What is it about?" I asked, incredibly curious.

"Protecting people you care about." Collin said simply.

"Will you sing it, please?"

"You wouldn't understand any of it."

"Is it in a different language or something?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe I can figure it out."

"Maybe you can't." Collin said in a teasing tone.

I dropped his hand to completely face him. "At least give me a chance. We won't know if I can figure it out if you don't try."

Collin smiled, "True."

"So you're going to sing for me?"

"Perhaps."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, giving him a playful shove that wasn't very effective.

"I have a few questions for you," he said, his tone now serious.

"Okay, shoot."

Collin hesitantly asked, "Do you visit the Cullens often?"

My jaw dropped, "How did you know I was there?"

"I have my resources. Please tell me, Carolyn. It's important."

"Today was the first time. I probably won't be going back."

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Collin asked, his eyes full of concern.

"No, not at all." I answered. Jasper didn't hurt me; he tried, but it wasn't like he was doing it of his free will.

Collin let out a sigh of relief, "That's good."

"Why would you think that they would hurt me?" I asked, frowning.

"You said that you wouldn't be going back as if something bad happened. It made me worried."

"I'm sorry I worried you." I whispered.

"You don't need to apologize. Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

I shrugged, "They told me a few things."

"What kind of things?"

I bit my lip. That the Volturi could come after me and Jade at anytime. That Jade was planning on taking me with her when she goes on the run again so she isn't caught not aging. "They told me you're a werewolf." I said instead. Collin being a werewolf didn't _bother _me. It just made it impossible to have both Jade and him, a fact that did bother me. Panic began to fill up my chest, I was going to have to choose. It was the pivotal moment. Collin or Jade. Friend or family. "Were they telling the truth?" I asked, a part of me hoping that he was human just so I could hold onto him a bit longer.

"Yes, they were telling the truth." Collin answered softly. He stared at me, observing what my reaction would be.

No, no, no, no, no! I wasn't ready to choose! Tears filled up in my eyes; I didn't want to hurt Collin or leave him. I wanted to stay by his side.

"Please don't cry. I would never hurt you." Collin said gently, misinterpreting my tears.

"I know you w-wouldn't." I choked out. "But I'll hurt _you_! I can't see you anymore, Collin."

"I don't understand, Carolyn," he said, his voice pained. His dark eyes reflected confusion.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm going to explain my situation. When I finish, I'm going to leave and I'm not going to look back. I'm telling you this now because I don't want you to stop me. Can you do that for me, Collin?" I was amazed at myself; I sounded collected, instead of the mess I was beneath the surface.

Collin looked at me with the saddest look. It tore my heart into a countless number of pieces. He nodded.

I composed my face and began, "My sister, Jade, is a vampire. She was turned two years ago." Collin's eyes widened slightly, his body grew tense. I continued without pause, "We visited the Cullens today in hopes she could learn more about herself. Jade doesn't feed on humans either, so she really needed the visit," he relaxed a bit at this knowledge. "We learned about the Volturi. They could show up at anytime, they could either kill us or I could be turned into a vampire. I think I have more time on that to decide." Collin's eyes darkened, his muscles growing tense once more. "However, Jade isn't aging and she has to leave soon before my Aunt Cleo figures anything out. I am going with her -she is the only close family I have left and I can't just abandon her," his eyes grew sad, knowing what I was going to say next. "You were the best thing that has ever happened to me, Collin, but I can't choose you over her. Good bye, and thank you for everything." I turned around and walked away, like I said I would. I never turned around, like I said I would. And he never came after me, even though I wanted him to. My soul was once again incomplete, and it sobbed silently.

**-Collin-**

I watched as Carolyn walked out of my life. My entire being told me to go after her, but I had promised that I wouldn't. I wanted to break that promise so much, but I feared that she would give me a disapproving look -the kind she gave to a puppy that made a mess- and reject me. Carolyn disappeared from view. My imprint, my existence, was gone. I had never cried before, even in the roughest of drama, but I sure did now. I sat on the ground and buried my face in my hands. My body was vibrating, but I held it in -causing my muscles to ache. I didn't want the pack to know. To know that the usually sensible and cool-headed Collin had lost his imprint. I heard footsteps and looked up. It was Jacob, and he too, was shaking.

"Why did you do that?!" he screamed at me. "You just fucking let her go!"

"She asked me to." I said, with as much calm as I could muster.

That made Jacob snap, I should have known better. He morphed, tearing his clothing, and lunging at me. I moved quickly out of the way and morphed too, which was kind of a pity because I had been wearing my favorite shirt. We fought; scratching and biting, growling and snarling. His thoughts were yelling at me. He had overheard the conversation between Carolyn and I. In his eyes, it was the same situation as him and Bella. Our fight became a glaring contest, after Jacob had placed an injunction on me to go after Carolyn. I had to obey him -he was in second command after all.

"_I can't make her, Jacob. I can't force her to do anything. That was what she chose." _I told him, hoping he would remove his command.

"_Convince her!"_

Ouch; headache._ "She is probably heading back to the Cullens where her sister is."_

Jacob winced, and then snarled,_ "Go Collin. Go now."_

I didn't have a choice, anymore -not that I really wanted one. _"Her car is at my house. I can get there before her, put on some clothes and intercept her. Jacob, please watch over her; she's on foot."_

Jacob nodded. We ran.

* * *

**I'm sorry about another cliff hanger but it was better than leaving you all off on Carolyn's POV, so please keep that in mind. Lol. Anyhoo, if I don't update very often after this, it will be because I have to study for Algebra 3 -I'm trying to test out of it, so I won't have to take the class. To be honest, I have been procrastinating on it and I have to take the test soon -both exams. You see my situation? I will still check my email though.**


	9. Best Friend

**Yes, I said that I wouldn't be able to update due to algebra 3 and it is still true in a way. This chapter came to be when I had time during class and didn't have my algebra stuff with me, so I wrote it down and typed it up. So I may still be able to update, just not very often. Man, if I was as dedicated to Algebra 3 as I was to this fanfic, I would be set. Lol. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight Series, they belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

"**Some prices are just too high, no matter how much you may want the prize. The one thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart." -I lost the name to whoever said this. (makes a sad face)**

* * *

**-Carolyn-**

I tripped on a root and fell. A city girl like me doesn't belong in a forest. I stayed that way for a minute, breathing hard with my heart pounding in my ears. I was afraid that I would turn back to Collin so I had run to resist the invisible force that pulled me to him. My mouth was dry and my throat was raw from the heavy breathing. I wanted to stop breathing to spare my tender throat, but living requires you to breathe so I couldn't. I eventually stood up and wiped my dirty hands off on my jeans. My breathing and heart rate had slowed. Collin's house was east, so I just needed to go that way. I looked up; searching for the sun to get a sense of direction, but the green canopy was too dense. It would have been hopeless anyways, it was overcast as usual. Great, I was lost. I leaned against a tree and sat down. When Collin gets home, he'll see my car still in the driveway and he will assume that I am lost and will come for me. I wrapped my arms around my knees and held back my tears. He would still help me, even though I didn't deserve it. Collin was worthy of someone so much better than me; someone beautiful, funny, smart, talented, a girl who didn't have a vampire for a sister.

A sob choked out and I could no longer keep the tears at bay. The hot liquid seemed to flood out of my eyes; refreshing against my wind-chilled face, but the relief didn't bubble up any euphoric feelings. The tears kept coming and I was helpless to stop them. I buried my face in my knees. I was hurting on every level of every aspect. My body felt sore and tired from running today. My mind could only think about my miserable future. My emotions were clogged up with despair, loneliness -the list could go on and on. My soul felt incomplete. I wanted to be _that _girl so bad. To be that girl that was worthy to stay by Collin, the one that had no obstacles in the way. It was a vain wish. I heard a twig snap suddenly, breaking the silence of the woods. I looked up to see what had made the noise, only to find a large russet wolf standing in front of me. He had long, shaggy fur and brown eyes.

"Collin?" I whispered, standing up and taking a step forward. I wiped my face dry with the back of my hand. I then realized that this wolf had different eyes, not the eyes that I wanted to spend the rest of my life looking into. "You aren't Collin." I said, trying to remember who owned those pair of eyes. "Are you…Jacob, the guy that left Emily's early?"

The wolf nodded.

"Where's Collin?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and then turned around and began walking away.

"Wait!" I called, not wanting to be alone or wanting to stay lost. Jacob halted, looked over his shoulder at me, and then continued on. I had to run to catch up with him, "Are you leading me to him?"

Jacob nodded.

"Oh, thanks Jacob. I really appreciate it; I was kinda lost there."

Jacob began to cough.

"Oh, you're sick. I didn't know werewolves could get sick -that sucks."

Jacob dashed behind a tree. I was about to follow him when I heard loud cracking noises, I froze. "I'm not sick. I was laughing not coughing," said a low voice from behind the tree.

I began to wonder why he hadn't stepped out from behind the tree yet -when realization hit me, "You don't have any clothes, do you?"

"Nope."

"You could wrap my sweater around yourself." I suggested.

"Alright."

I tossed my sweater; a dark-skinned hand shot out and caught it. A few seconds later, Jacob stepped out. I stifled a laugh, "You look so funny."

Jacob rolled his eyes, "Whatever. So why were you crying?"

"I'm just a wuss that's all." I said, not wanting to explain.

"Care to explain?"

"I'd rather not, to be honest."

"Okay," said Jacob, dropping it.

"Will…will Collin be okay, when I leave?" I asked, remembering Collin's tortured expression.  
Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, all I know is that I am leaving Seattle."

"Because of Jade." Jacob stated, not asked.

"How do you know about Jade?" I asked with wide eyes.

"In wolf form, members of the pack share thoughts."

"So…you know everything?"

"Everything you told Collin."

There was an awkward silence. I decided to break it, "You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"I asked you if Collin will be okay."

Jacob was quiet for a moment, but then said, "You are important to him, Carolyn. I think that you should stick around longer."

I bit my lip. If I stay longer, I may not be able to leave with grace. "I would like to, but I can't."

"Why?" Jacob asked with a hint of irritation in his composed voice.

"Jade and I have always been close; I can't just leave her."

"Because you don't want to hurt her feelings."

I nodded.

Jacob was silent for a minute and then he sighed, "You need to do what makes you happy."

"I love Jade, she's my sister."

"She stopped being your sister the second she was bitten," said Jacob, spite in his voice.

I didn't reply. The vampire named Jade had my sister's face, my sister's personality, and my sister's memories. However, my sister loved animals and would never harm one. My sister would have shoved me into any guy who had the title as my crush, no matter what qualities he had. My sister was only human. _Human_. No, Carolyn you have already discussed this with yourself before. It doesn't matter that Jade is a vampire.

"Yeah, she isn't my sister anymore. Jade has become my overprotective friend."

"Best friend?"

"Best."

Jacob swallowed. "That won't be enough."

"What do you mean?"

Jacob averted his eyes from mine. "Her being your best friend isn't going to be enough for you to stay with her forever."

"And what makes you think that?"

"What happens when you begin to love somebody? You'll throw her aside."

Before I could answer, I was pulled aside in one quick movement. Little black dots danced in my vision. My heart nearly stopped when I heard a menacing snarl in front of me. My eyes refocused, and with her back to me stood Jade, her stone hand wrapped around my wrist. Jacob faced Jade, and suddenly he exploded into his large russet form. My sweater fell to the ground in a torn heap. His sharp canine teeth exposed themselves as his lips curled back into an answering growl.

"Jade," I said. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

Instead of answering my questions, Jade snapped, "Back off Collin."

"He isn't Collin. This is Jacob, Collin's friend." I explained.

Jade turned around and gave me a strange look, "You threaten to stab yourself in a house full of vampires to get here, and then you end up choosing someone else? You are one strange girl, Carolyn."

I wanted to hit Jade in the arm, but I knew that it would only cause me pain. I glared at her, "I'm not interested in Jacob."

"Good. Then you won't mind if I give him a few nice sized bruises." (There was a low rumbling in Jacob's throat at this comment)

"Don't you dare touch him, Jade! He was only leading me back to Collin's house so I could get the car."

Jade's eyes narrowed, "Why is Collin _not _with you?"

"I…I told him goodbye."

Whatever Jade had been expecting, it wasn't that; her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

I got rid of all emotions on my face and said, "I wanted to tell him goodbye in person."

"Oh. If you told me that earlier, I would have let you go."

"You have to let me call him though."

"I thought you said goodbye to him."

"Goodbye as in I won't be seeing him anymore." I clarified.

"Did you tell him that?"

"I may have forgotten to mention it."

"Carolyn, you're extremely hard to deal with. Telling your sweetheart goodbye may just save him any pain you cause him in the future."

"What do you mean by that, Jade?"

"You probably have the poor guy thinking that he's never going to hear from you again."

"You're sympathizing with him?"

"Nope, not at all. So are you ready to go home?"

Jacob snarled in interruption.

Jade face him once more, "Stay out of our business, _pup_."

Jacob snapped at Jade. Jade dodged and tried to counterattack, but Jacob expertly moved out of the way. In a blurred movement, Jade was being held back by tow pairs of pale hands. It was Bella and Edward. Jade stopped struggling in a few seconds, and then hung her head as if she was ashamed. "What did Alice see?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter now," said Edward. "My family is back at the house waiting for you two."

I noticed that Bella was watching Jacob, evaluating his body language. "Jacob…" she said, only just loud enough for me to hear.

Jacob was avoiding eye contact with her, but he did nod in acknowledgement.

"He's sorry for how he acted at the wedding." Edward translated Jacob's thoughts.

Bella stepped towards Jacob tentatively. Jacob didn't move. Bella took another step. Jacob looked at her. "That was three years ago. It's past us now."

"He says "Sure, sure"."

Bella smiled. "How's the pack?"

"Sam and Emily are doing good," Edward began. "Claire loves having Quil as her babysitter. Embry is being Embry. Paul is still hot-tempered. Jared is going to go on vacation with Kim's' family in two weeks. Seth and Leah are arguing about who gets the bigger room in the new house."

"How's your dad?"

"He hasn't changed."

"Yeah, Charlie mentioned that he caught a good sized fish the other day."

"Takes up half of the fridge. He hardly has room for his frozen pizzas."

Bella laughed, "Still eat like a wolf?"

Jacob gave her a wolfy grin, but then the grin faded away.

"He says that we should leave now."

Bella's eyes looked sad, but she nodded. "Come on Jade, Carolyn."

"He says that Collin needs to speak with Carolyn."

"No." Jade said firmly. "Give it a rest already."

Edward sighed. "He insists."

"And I insist that she doesn't see him."

"He says that she will be returned home by nine."

"No."

"Eight-thirty."

"No."

"Eight."

"No."

"Any less and all there will be is the car ride, he complains."

"_No_."

Edward looked thoughtful for a moment and then translated, "He's asking that Carolyn talks with Collin for fifteen minutes in the house while you wait in the car."

"I want to be inside the house."

"Jade!" I hissed in irritation, unable to listen to her stubbornness anymore. "Either you're in the car or your miles away. Your pick."

"I'm going to be in that house whether you like it or not."

I turned to Bella and gave her a pleading look, hoping that she would understand my situation.

"Jade, I think that you should listen to her. We don't want her threatening to go emo on us now." Bella advised in a light tone.

"Fine." Jade scowled.

"_Thank you!" _I mouthed to Bella. Bella gave me a reassuring smile and nodded. In a blur, her and Edward were gone.

"Let's get this over with." Jade muttered.

* * *

**Okay. So that is all for now. A boring class leaves me a lot of time to daydream so I have a lot of ideas for the upcoming chapters!!**


	10. Manipulated

**I'm just going to stop with the author notes. Lol. You all already know that I am thankful for the reviews and that I have algebra 3 -making it challenging to update.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer**

* * *

**-Collin-**

My stomach was doing little flips as I paced the driveway. I was nervous. Okay, "nervous" was an understatement but whatever. How is Carolyn going to react when I tell her? What if she doesn't like me that way? What if it creeps her out and she still goes with Jade? How will I survive that? I brushed my wet bangs out of my face. The shower had done me some good; it washed had off the mud. I felt the imprint-gravitational pull before my ears heard the sound of footsteps and I turned. In the distance, was Carolyn, Jacob, and who I can only assume as Jade -the most stubborn being I have ever heard of. Jade had dark brown hair that stretched down to her waist, and gold eyes like all vegetarian vampires. It was hard to convince her to let Carolyn come; I'm just glad that Edward didn't let her know the he was translating for me through Jacob.

I watched as Carolyn got closer, when she finally saw me with her human vision; she gave me the most amazing smile I had ever seen -it was like she lit up from the inside out. She was beautiful -she always had been. I tried to wait patiently for them, I was happy to notice that Carolyn had picked up her speed to reach me sooner, but all was lost when I noticed Carolyn's hastened speed. So I walked towards them, I would have ran but I didn't want Jade to get all defensive. It seemed like for ever, when in reality it was only like five seconds.

Before I could say "hi" to Carolyn, she had wrapped her arms around my waist in a hug; her face was buried in my chest with her body close against mine. My heart stopped and then started up again at a rapid pace. I glanced at Jade; she wanted to kill me. I glanced at Jacob; he had my back. Now that I knew that hugging Carolyn wasn't going to start a war (thank you Jacob), I returned her hug. I could feel Carolyn smile get slightly bigger when I put my arms around her.

"You guys have fifteen minutes. A second later, and I'm going to kick the door down," threatened Jade. I reluctantly let go of Carolyn, and she let go of me a full second later. I glanced at Jacob he nodded to me, assuring that he would handle Jade. I nodded in acknowledgement and thanks. I put an arm around Carolyn's shoulders -I received a death glare from Jade- and led her to my house.

**-Carolyn-**

Collin dropped his arm from my shoulders when we entered the house. He gestured for me to sit on the couch, I sat. He sat on the other side and faced me; I turned to him and took his hands in mine. I was going to take advantage of the moment; it would be the last time I would touch him. He gave me a small smile, which appeared to be nervous, and he began to play with my fingers. I waited for him to speak. Finally, after a minute, he looked up at me and began, "I don't really have enough time to tell you any Quilette legends…which is basically werewolf history. So I guess I'll get to a more important matter. Werewolves can tell when they find their soul mate. We use the term "imprint" instead of soul mate," he took a deep breath before he continued. It may have relaxed him, but it only made me tense; his words was like a cliff hanger, making me anxious to hear more. "You're my imprint, Carolyn."

What? Me? Out of all the girls in the world, _I _was his imprint? Was there some kind of mistake? How could someone like _me_ possibly be Collin's _soul mate_? It just didn't add up…but then again, everything in my life doesn't base itself on logic. Collin's eyes had always been full of intensity and I could never place the emotion behind it, but now I knew; he loved me. He loved me down to his core, just as deep as I did for him. I was about to smile when all of my euphoria came spiraling down into anguish. It was going to hurt him so much for me to leave. I was just as much apart of him as much as he was of me; the pain of leaving him had been nearly unbearable. Surely the pain would be the same for him if not worse…but I can't stay. Can I? If I stayed with him, then it would be less likely that the Volturi will come swooping down because I'm not hanging around with Jade. If I stayed with him, then…

"_No Carolyn. You can't, you know you can't. What about Jade?"_ a voice that sounded like me asked.

"_But what about Collin? You're his imprint, his soul mate. You two are meant to be together,"_ an identical voice argued.

"_What if he's only in love with you? What if it turns out that you're not his soul mate, huh? What if he made a mistake and it is some other girl?"_

"…_at least he loves you now. Isn't that what really matters? That you have him now? Isn't this what you wanted?"_

"_No, what you wanted was someone to be close to. Someone else besides Jade, Ellie, and your Aunt. It didn't matter who it was. Besides, even if the Volturi did come and demand that you be changed into a vampire, it isn't like that would be completely bad. Look at Bella, for example. She wanted to be a vampire. Don't you? Don't you want to be beautiful, strong, and everlasting?"_

The second voice could not deny it; I waited desperately for it to say something clever, but it remained silent. My chest felt tight.

"_Didn't you and Jade promise that you would never lave her?" _the first voice added.

The second voice remained silent.

"_You see now, don't you Carolyn?" _the first voice said somewhat smugly. I felt kind of lightheaded. _"Plus werewolves are so unstable...you know that Emily didn't get her scars from a bear attack. It's better not to get involved. Just say goodbye and leave. Put this all behind you."_

"Carolyn, are you okay?" I heard Collin say. My eyes refocused and there was Collin still in front of me, worry in his eyes. "I mean, I know it's kind of a shock, but….um…I'm not expecting anything of you, honest. I just want you to be happy and safe -wherever you go."

I opened my mouth to respond, but instead there was a rush of air going into my lungs. I had been holding my breath? The tension in my chest eased. I exhaled. Seeing the look on Collin's face, I said, "I forgot to breathe. I'm okay." I took another breath to reassure him. "I've gotta go. I'm sorry, Collin." I took my hands from his and stood up.

Collin stood up too, looking hurt and confused, "Is me being a werewolf bother you?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine with you being a werewolf."

"Did the imprint thing freak you out?"

"No, the imprint thing doesn't make sense just like everything in my life, it's normal for something out of the ordinary to happen to me."

Collin looked relieved, but then concerned once more, "Then what's wrong? I can tell that you're upset."

Before I could answer the front door opened, and there was Jade. Jacob was growling behind her, but she ignored him, "We have to go, Carolyn. _Now_."

"I'll call you." I said to Collin, without thinking.

He smiled, "At anytime."

I nodded and left the house with Jade.

**Midnight**

**-Jade- (A/N: I just wanted to point out that this is the first time the story has gone into Jade's point of view. lol.)**

I took a deep, unneeded breath. I detected a familiar scent. "What do you want, David?" I asked, not bothering to turn around.

"What do you think I want?" David whispered in a low voice, placing his arms around my waist.

"You got tired of Elizabeth, huh?"

"How'd you guess?" he murmured in my ear. I was glad that my heart was still for eternity -it would have given my attraction for him away.

"I'm not your toy, David." I growled.

"Then how about I become yours?" he said, his lips brushing the tip of my ear.

I didn't respond. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted at the moment. Revenge or companionship? Suddenly, his words clicked in my head, "You know about my powers."

"Of course I do. I've been watching you."

"As flattering as that is, why?"

"It's a secret."

I slid out from David's arms to face him. "The Volturi sent you here, didn't they? You've said that you work for some people before."

"Maybe."

"What do they want?"

"You know why."

"They're just a bunch of stupid dogs."

"Dogs that can hurt us."

"Just leave Carolyn alone."

"Oh, I see it now. You've been trying to keep her away from the werewolves so she won't have to encounter me, huh? I didn't think you would actually take me seriously when I told you that I was going to take care of a dog problem."

"I take everything seriously when it could hurt Carolyn."

"You've been manipulating her."

I shifted uncomfortably, guilt building up in my system. "I have to."

"You're going to hurt yourself if you manipulate someone's thoughts too much."

"Shut up, David. That's my problem, not yours."

"Technically, I'm supposed to dispose of any vampire that exposes their true nature to humans," he casually threatened me, reminding me to be nice.

"And why haven't you yet?"

"Because I'd like to make a proposal for you. The Volturi wants you to use their talents for them."

"They want me to join them so they can use me, huh?"

"Whatever way you want to put it."

"You're going to kill Carolyn if I say "no", aren't you?"

"Without a doubt."

"I hate you."

David chuckled, "No you don't. You're attracted to me. You always have been." He leaned in so our lips were only centimeters apart. I glared at him. "Jade," he said in a soothing voice.

"I'll make you light yourself on fire." I warned.

He put some distance between us at that threat. "Shall I assume that you aren't going to be joining?"

My eyes remained dry as I spoke, "No, I'll join the Volturi. And I'll help with the war against the werewolves; I know a coven that may be interested in helping as well."

"Really now?"

"They're friends of the Cullens. One of their names is Tanya."

* * *

**End of chapter. I know, I know, I'm being evil. It's only going to get worse from this point on…so I'm apologizing now: I'm sorry but there are more cliff hangers ahead. Oh, you're probably a little confused. Well, what happened is that Jade ran into David the night that Carolyn had that flashback-nightmare thingy and he hinted about taking out the werewolves. Which is why Jade has been so against Carolyn seeing Collin cause she doesn't want Carolyn to get involved with the upcoming war. The Cullens mentioned Tanya's coven while Carolyn was with Collin. Um….yeah, Jade can manipulate people's thoughts….that's why Carolyn's mind is like a rollercoaster -one moment she can't get over how awesome Collin is to how she (for some reason that isn't really clear) has to stay away from him. If there is anything that doesn't make sense; please tell me….I may have forgotten a few details or so. I don't know. I still love reviews. hint-hint lol. **


	11. Flames

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series****-****Three**** days later-**

* * *

**-Collin-**

"Collin. Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy," growled Paul.

I stopped pacing. "Sorry." I muttered. I pulled out my phone and flipped it open, checking for the second time if I had left it on silent; the reason why it hadn't rang yet. Nope, it was on its loudest ring setting. I sighed and closed it shut and stuffed it back into my pocket.

"Checking your phone isn't going to make her call sooner." Brady chuckled.

I glared at him. He shrugged and looked away, turning his attention back onto the tv screen. I sighed, "I'm gonna go head home."

The pack nodded in acknowledgement but didn't take their eyes off of the screen. I heard the news reporter saying something about people going missing in Seattle. I left the house quickly; I didn't want to hear anymore. I couldn't let myself get insecure about Carolyn's safety. She was safe. Even though Jade was an incredibly annoying vampire, she was also incredibly over-protective.

I started the jeep and began the drive home. I turned on the radio and listened to a radio station that wasn't on a commercial. I didn't pay attention to the music though, I was too busy thinking about what Carolyn and I could talk about when she did call me. She looked genuine when she said she would so I didn't doubt her. A loud ring tone rang from my pocket; I jumped in surprise. I answered the phone with my heart beating quickly; I really shouldn't have put the ringer on such a loud setting.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Collin," said Carolyn.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked casually.

"Mm, nothing much. I'm just behind the desk with nothing to do."

"Oh, you're at the animal center?"

"Yeah."

"The way Jade was acting I thought you were never going to be let out of your room."

Carolyn laughed. I loved her laugh. "Me too, but Aunt Cleo needed me to watch the animals for a couple of hours and Jade isn't going to do it so that leaves me," she said, somewhat smugly.

"You aren't too lonely over there, are you?"

"A bit," she admitted.

"Need some company?"

"That sounds great."

"…You aren't creeped out by the whole imprint thing?"

Carolyn chuckled as if I was being silly. "No. Should I be?" she asked in a light, joking tone.

"I don't think so."

"Cool."

"Hey, Collin?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated, "Um, can I see what you look like…as a wolf?"

A grin spread on my face, but it then disappeared. "I won't be able to morph in Seattle. It would have to be in the woods were no one will see me."

"Oh, ok." Carolyn said; I detected a bit of disappointment in her voice.

"If you want, I could come over and when you're done we could go out and you could see me…I don't think Jade will take too kindly about that though."

"She can deal with it."

I was pleasantly surprised. "You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I don't know what was up with me earlier…" Carolyn trailed off.

"Just do what makes you happy."

Carolyn was quiet for a moment and then she said, "Being with you does make me happy." Her voice was barley above a whisper; the result of being embarrassed.

A large grin appeared on my face my, heart rate increased, and I felt warmth spread throughout my body. "Being with you makes me happy too."

Carolyn was quiet for another moment, "Is that because I'm your imprint?"

Her question caught me off guard, but I hastily answered, not wanting to make her anxious, "Because you're my imprint? I would love you even if you weren't."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Carolyn?"

"You said you loved me."

I was about to reply when a chill went down my spine. Something was wrong. I took in a sharp breath when I saw smoke streaming in the air; coming from the area where my house was. I pressed my foot further down onto the gas pedal; lurching the car forward. "Carolyn, something's come up and I don't think I'll be able to come over tonight."

She heard the alarm in my voice. "Is everything okay?" she asked, worry colored her tone. My house came into view, and it was definitely on fire. Orange flames licked the windows; blocking the inside of the house from sight. I parked my car on the road; I didn't want to risk the car catching fire in the driveway. I stepped out, the phone still to my ear. Part of the house caved in, making a loud crashing noise. "Collin? What was that noise?"

I swore when I remembered that Ginger was still inside. I closed the phone and shoved it into my pocket and ran towards the burning house. I could felt the heat radiating from the structure as I got closer. I took a deep breath and then kicked the door open and jumped back quickly. Flames reached out, but missed me. The heat was more intense, but it didn't bother me too much; I was used to it because of all of the bonfires I had attended. I took a deep breath and dashed inside. The heat was extreme, but I crouched low and tried to ignore it. Being tall had its disadvantages; there was the higher risk of inhaling too much smoke. It suddenly felt strange to move; I looked down and saw that the soles of my shoes were melting. I quickly took them off; I needed to be able to move quickly –slipping on melted rubber wasn't going to help me much. "Ginger!" I called out in hopes of getting a reply. I strained my ears to hear any recognition. I heard a quiet meow from upstairs.

I hurried up the burning staircase, trying to not pay attention to the fact that I was receiving burns. A stair that was on fire collapsed beneath me, but thanks to my quick reflexes I was able to move to the next stair. I reached the upper level and I was close to suffocation. The heat was so extreme and it made it hard to breathe; the smoke didn't help either. "Ginger!" I called again. I accidentally inhaled some ash and began to cough. A meow came from my room. I ran over an opened the door; burning my hand on the metal handle. I pulled my hand quickly back out of instinct to avoid further damage. I took a deep breath, which did the opposite to relax me since I only got ash and smoke in my lungs, making me cough once more. I covered my mouth with one hand and used the other to quickly open the door. Flames shot out, at the surge of oxygen; I shielded my face with my arms and then stepped inside.

It was strange to see my room on fire. All physical representations of my memories –burning in front of my eyes. A picture frame that sat on my desk was turning black from the fire; the image of my mom, dad and a ten year old me had vanished. I felt a wave of remorse, but then I remembered that there was a life much more important than the my objects from the past. "Ginger!" I saw the small orange cat in the corner next to my guitar; she had her ears flat and her eyes were wide in terror. I rushed over to her and picked her up. Ginger meowed softly; she was shivering and I could tell that she was in shock.

I exited my room; leaving all belongings behind. I jumped the flight of stairs and landed expertly on my feet. I looked out of a window that had not totally blackened and saw that it was raining outside. Good. That meant that the flames would go out in a few hours. I headed for the door. There was a cracking sound above me; I knew what it was and I knew that I didn't have time to get out of the way. I tossed Ginger out of the open front door as the roof came falling down. I felt the impact of the collapsing ceiling and then another impact as I hit the floor. Everything went into a burst of color and then a pitch black.

"_What do you want?" I asked the vampire female in front of me._

"_Stay away from Carolyn," said Jade; her eyes were filled with determination and another emotion that I couldn't place._

"_What happens between me and Carolyn is none of your business."_

_Jade sighed, "Look mutt, this isn't about you being a werewolf."_

"_Then what is it about?"_

"_If Carolyn stays with you, she will get hurt."_

"_I would never hurt her."_

"_I never said I was talking about you."_

_My eyes narrowed, but my heart froze over with fear. "There's someone else, isn't there?"_

_Jade nodded._

"_Tell me."_

_Jade shook her head. "I honestly wish I could, but I can't. Just stay away from her and keep her away from you. Things are going to get messy very soon."_

"_Jade, tell me what the hell you are talking about!"_

"_The fire was just the beginning -a warning."_

"_That doesn't tell me shit! Stop giving me the cryptic crap and tell me!"_

_Jade gave me a sad smile, "Your pack is calling you."_

Her image blurred and then disappeared completely. All of a sudden, I was in searing hot pain. My body ached and felt hotter than ever. I couldn't breathe; a heavy weight was on my chest, crushing my lungs. There was a taste blood and ash in my mouth. The scent of burning wood was overpowering and it made my head spin -something that I did _not _need. My ears then began to work; I could hear yelling but I couldn't register what was being said. The voices sounded familiar; low and loud. I moaned. Damn my entire body hurt. I then heard desperate meowing and the sound of rain. The voices came closer. The sound of objects being frantically pushed out of the way got louder as the people drew nearer. Couldn't they hurry up? Maybe bring me some hot dog sized dosage of Tylenol with them? A cat meowed again. The people were very close now and I could now register what they were saying.

"I think the cat is saying that he's here."

"Quil stop messing around!" hissed a voice.

"Leah, I seriously think he's right here. It can't hurt to check."

There seemed to be a silent agreement because weight was pulled off of my chest. I gasped for air, but I inhaled ash and began to cough. Each cough brought a sharp pain in my chest and abdomen, as well a painful throb to my head. I felt strong hands pull me up, I was coughing too hard to open my eyes and see who. The pack was talking to me, I was sure, but their voices became a low hum and the sounds soon died away. I fell into unconsciousness once again, embracing the numbness that slumber brought.

I opened my eyes. I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. I sat up, wincing at the pain.

"Collin." Sam breathed out in relief. I saw the other pack members looking just as relieved.

"How do you feel?" Seth asked tentatively.

"Like crap." I chuckled, and then winced. It hurt to laugh. I really shouldn't do that. "What's the damage?"

"A concussion. A few broken ribs. Some internal bleeding. As well as scrapes and burns all over," answered a blonde vampire.

"Oh, you're here…um, thanks Dr. Cullen."

Dr. Cullen smiled, "Its Carlisle."

"Okay."

"You would have died if it weren't for your genetics. Just try not to morph if you can help it. Relax for a day or two. "

"Hmm. Where's Ginger?"

"Ginger?" Carlisle asked, looking confused.

"My cat. She's the reason why I went into the stupid house."

Carlisle chuckled and pointed. I looked over to my left, curled up beside me was a sleeping orange ball of fur. Ginger had some singed hairs, but she looked fine other than that.

"That cat has issues," grumbled Paul. "It tried to kill me when I picked her up."

I laughed, but then stopped when pain stabbed at my ribs. "She doesn't like to be held."

"I wasn't trying to hold her; I was trying to get her away from you while you slept. She kept pawing at you trying to wake you up."

"She's an impatient cat."

"Frick' man. Since when do you have a cat?" Embry asked.

"I adopted her from Carolyn's Aunt's animal shelter."

"Why did you do that?"

"Carolyn asked me to."

"You're whipped." Paul rolled his eyes.

"Just you wait, Paul. Just you wait."

Paul opened his mouth, but Sam cut him off, "That's enough. Collin needs his rest."

"You're awake," said Billy, wheeling himself into the room.

"Am I at you're house?" I asked.

"In my bed too," said Jake.

"I've got some…troubling news, Collin." Billy said. He looked older than ever, as there were shadows under his eyes from sleepless nights.

My heart sputtered at his words and went into a frenzy. The surge of blood gave me a head ache. "What is it?" I asked, my sounding voice hoarse.

"Your mother is on her way."

* * *

**This is the end of this chapter. I hope you liked it…a sweet moment between Carolyn and Collin will happen. I'm kinda delaying that though because drama is a strongpoint of mine, while romance isn't. I get embarrassed when I try to type it. lol, sad isn't it? I mean, what the heck am I doing writing an imprint story if I can't do romance? I don't know, but I'm going to try. Thank you for all of the reviews, I really appreciated them. For those who put this story on your story alerts…..please review as well. It won't kill you -I promise. Lol. **


	12. Mere Mortal

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer.**

**-Collin-**

"What?!" I exclaimed, throwing the sheet off of me and jumping out of bed. The movement caused my entire body burn in pain. I clenched my teeth, determined not to yell.

"What do you think you are doing?" asked Sam, positioning himself in front of me. It was obvious that he did not want me up and about.

"I think I'm going to clean myself up before my mom sees me."

"Don't be stupid. Get some"

I brushed past him before he could finish. "Emily, could you cut my hair, please?" I knew that my hair must be singed.

Sam growled in annoyance. Emily gave him a look and he stopped, she turned to me and nodded.

"I'll go get a pair of scissors," said Billy, rolling himself out of the room.

"Are you insane?" Leah asked.

I gave her a confused look.

"You think that you can hide what happened to you by cutting your hair?"

"Leah, you're a genius! Could I borrow your makeup?" I had to do something to hide the burns.

Seth doubled over in laughter. "I…never thought that….I'd ever….hear…a guy ask…that." Seth said in between laughs.

I scowled, "I'm serious. My mom can't see me like this. Jake, can I borrow some clothes?"

"Sure," he said and then turned to get me some clothes.

"Take it easy now, Collin." Carlisle said. I had nearly forgotten that he was here.

"I'll have to do that later."

Sam gave me a disapproving look. Quil, Embry, and Brady just shook their heads, and sighed.

Jake handed me a bundle of clothes.

"Thanks."

Jake nodded.

"Maybe you should take a shower before you put on clean clothes. You smell like smoke," suggested Jared.

"Good idea."

"May I?" I said to Jake. He rolled his eyes and gestured to the door. I ran, dodging Billy on my way out, and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I saw my reflection in the mirror. I looked awful. My face was smeared with ash and dirt -my hair was covered in the stuff. I saw that there was indeed burns on me. I set the borrowed clothing on the counter and turned away from the mirror to turn on the shower. I peeled off my clothes -a task that really hurt. I found that my cell phone had melted inside of my pocket. Well, there went a perfectly good cell phone. I sighed and got into the shower. I winced as the water sprayed onto my scrapes and burns. I found that there was a large bruise on my abdomen. I was pretty messed up…I'll be as good as new in a couple of days or so. I quickly shampooed and conditioned my hair and washed down my body. It hurt to lift my arms but it had to be done. I turned off the water and dried myself off with a towel -ouch- that came from a cupboard. I put on the clean clothes -ouch again- and hurried back into Jake's room. Carlisle was gone. Emily had the scissors in her hand, ready to cut my hair. Leah had her makeup bag, ready to cover up my burns. And Sam was ready to knock me unconscious so I would rest, but I knew that he wouldn't…at least not now anyways.

The pack watched as the evidence from the earlier incident disappeared. Leah and Emily were moving quickly, not knowing exactly how soon my mom would arrive.

There was banging on the front door. We all stood up and exited Jake's room quickly. We entered the living room and sat down. I told Jake with a glance that I would appreciate it if he opened the door. As he left to go do that, I whispered to the rest of the pack, "This isn't going to be pretty."

"You want us to leave?" Brady asked, not looking very pleased.

Before I could open my mouth, we all heard a yell, "Collin!" She was demanding that I present myself to her; I knew this from many occasions.

I jumped up from the couch -wincing- and swiftly went to the front door. There stood the woman that I hadn't seen in four years. She had been in Europe because of her job; she's been a workaholic ever since Dad died. Her usually neat black hair was in a loose and messy ponytail. She was wearing professional attire; she must have driven straight here. Her brown eyes looked puffy as though she had been crying.

"Hey, Mom." I greeted, stepping forward to give her a hug. She just gaped at me. "What?"

"You've grown up so much," she said, tears in her eyes. I knew that she felt guilty about leaving me, but I had convinced her that her job was important. I felt a stab of worry; she doesn't know that she came from a line of werewolves. She didn't know that my growing up was because of the werewolf gene had been triggered inside me

"Yeah." I breathed out.

She wiped at her eyes and then looked at me with a fiery glare. "How dare you set the house on fire!" she screeched. "I told you over and over again that I never wanted you to hold a can of beer again!"

"Mom," I interrupted before she could continue with her rant. "I haven't been drunk in ages and I didn't set the house on fire."

"Did your friends do it?"

"No, Mom. I don't even hang out with those people anymore."

Mom looked relieved, and then ashamed for assuming that I had done wrong. "I'm glad. You aren't hurt are you?"

"Nope," I lied, feeling thankful towards Emily and Leah…I'll have to make it up to them.

"Where's Jennifer? Is she okay?"

"Um, she's…"

Mom's eyes narrowed, she could always tell when I had done something wrong, "Collin, what did you do?"

"She couldn't handle the drama that I come with and she left." I explained coolly. "She was getting sick from all the stress." I added, in hopes that my mom would only be mad at me and not Jennifer.

"Did I not tell you to behave yourself?" my mom screamed up at me. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't want to go to Europe."

My mom broke down into sobs; it happened when she was angry. I felt the air shift and I knew that the pack was standing behind me, they probably came to see what all the commotion was about. Billy rolled over to Mom and patted her on the shoulder comfortingly, "Why don't you join me for some coffee in the kitchen?"

My mother looked down at Billy and nodded. She wiped her face using the back of her hand, effectively smearing her mascara. I took her arm gently and pulled her up to her feet. I guided her into the kitchen, following Billy, I was afraid that she would collapse. Mom looked like she hadn't gotten a slept well, and I knew how stress could wear a person down. She sat down in a chair and accepted the Kleenex that Billy offered her; wiping the smear of mascara away. Jake was making the coffee. I just stood next to my mom, wondering how she was going to pull through. Work was stressful, being half way across the world from your son must be stressful…I doubted that she was over Dad dieing. And now our house was burnt down to the ground. To top it off, I was going to have to explain why I can't leave Washington. Jake brought over two cups of coffee, one for my mom and one for Billy. My mom took the mug and thanked Jake. Jake nodded and left the room, wanting to give us privacy I suppose. I sensed that the rest of the pack had left too for the same reason.

My mom sipped her coffee, "Thank you, Billy for looking after Collin."

Billy nodded.

My mom turned and gave me the look. The look that meant that it was time for me to leave because she wanted to talk about adult things. I left the room, but kept my ears well tuned in on their conversation.

"Please, Billy, be honest. Has he really stopped hanging out with those awful kids?" I felt guilty; I really was awful back then. So awful that she isn't even sure that she can trust my word four years later.

"He's been hanging out with Sam Uley for a little over a year now."

"Ah," my mom replied. "Billy?"

"Yes?" Billy sipped his coffee.

"Is he…has he _changed_?" I nearly walked out of the house right then and there, but I was curious to hear what Billy was going to tell her.

"A lot has happened since you left, Gianna. He's had to face some pretty tough situations; it's made him face responsibility. He's matured."

I peeked from the corner to see her expression. I saw her nod her head. Her expression was conflicted between relief and sadness. "He's always had drama attracted to him like glue…what sort of thing happened?"

"I'm sorry, Gianna. But I can't tell you that. You need to ask Collin."

Mom nodded. She was staring at her coffee, thinking who knows what.

"Would you like me to go get him?" Billy asked softly.

"Oh, you don't have to, Billy." Mom said, getting up. She bent down to give him a peck on the cheek and then stood upright again. "Thank you for everything, but I think its best that Collin and I go now."

"You're free to stay the night here if you'd like." Billy offered.

"I can't do that to you, Billy. Good night," she gave him a small smile and then turned to leave -heading towards me. I silently rushed over to the couch and sat down -I didn't want her to know that I had been eavesdropping.

"Collin," she called softly.

I stood up from the couch and winced. Stupid bruise. Stupid rib bones.

My mom noticed that I winced, she walked straight to me, he eyes full of concern. "You are hurt aren't you? Tell me, Collin."

"Mom, it's nothing. Let's just go find a hotel to stay the night at." I was feeling tired. I just wanted to sleep. Seeing your Mom after 3 years wears a guy out.

"Fine, but you're explaining everything to me once we get in the car."

Explaining what? The fire or the fact that your son is over six feet tall? I'd probably have to do both. Damn. Oh! I have to tell the guys about Jade…wait that was just a dream, Collin. Don't be doing anything stupid now…but what if she could really talk to people through dreams? I mean, the Cullens have powers too….

"Collin? Are we leaving now?"

"Oh, could you hang on a sec, Mom? I need to do something real quick."

She sighed and then nodded.

I left the living room and entered Jake's. Jake was sitting on his bed, flipping through a car magazine. He looked up; asking me "what was up?" through eye contact.

I kept my voice only just loud enough for Jake to hear, and quickly explained my dream.

He listened patiently, resisting the urge to interrupt. When I finished, he didn't speak for a moment. I let him collect his thoughts on the whole deal. "We found this on your lawn," Jake said, holding up a piece of paper. It said: This is a warning.

I stared at the paper. Jade seemed like the person to have really neat handwriting. Then my mind went back to the dream…_ "There's someone else, isn't there?"_

_Jade nodded._

"_Tell me."_

_Jade shook her head. "I honestly wish I could, but I can't. Just stay away from her and keep her away from you. Things are going to get messy very soon."_

"Jade didn't set the house on fire, someone else did. Whoever did will hurt Carolyn if she's with me, or at least that's what Jade said."

"That leech is probably just saying that so you stay away from Carolyn." Jake replied, his tone was colored in disgust.

I thought about this and nodded. "Jade is good at manipulating people. I've noticed that. Carolyn seems to always be worrying about Jade…it's almost unnatural."

Jake's eyes widened, "You don't think she has a power do you? I mean, she just spoke with you in your dream -it would be stretching reality to say that you just made that up."

I nodded in agreement. There was knocking on the door. "Collin, you said that it would be quick. C'mon lets go."

"Tell everyone." I said. Jake nodded. I walked across the room and opened the door. My mom looked up at me with impatient eyes. "Sorry, Mom. See you Jake."

"See you," replied Jake, picking up his magazine. I shut his door behind me, knowing that as soon as I did, Jake would be jumping out the window and morphing.

There was a high pitched scream outside. I rushed past my mom and ran to the door and opened it to see who had screamed.

**-Carolyn- (A/N: rewind)**

I was full of warmth and happiness, but also shock. He loved me, but was that just because he had to? I was his imprint, did that mean that he had no choice in the matter? Even if I was an awful person he would still have to love me? "Carolyn, something's come up and I don't think I'll be able to come over tonight." Collin voice told me from the phone. He sounded panicked, possibly scared.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, my heart freezing over with terror. Was he going to get hurt? Would he be okay? I then heard a loud crashing noise from the other end, "Collin? What was that noise?"

Collin swore and the connection went dead. My throat felt tight and tears were filling up my eyes. I set the phone down. Lightning flashed at a nearby tree outside and thunder roared above the animal shelter, I ducked down and covered my head with arms, hoping that the tree wouldn't fell onto the animal shelter. I heard the dogs whimpering in the other room, some were barking. I wished Collin was here right now, I sniffed. Collin…he could be fighting for his life right now for all I know…I looked at the paper that I had copied Collin's and Sam's number onto. I picked up the phone and dialed Sam's number. I wished that I hadn't left my cell in the car.

"Hello?" Sam's deep voice answered.

"Hi Sam, its Carolyn."

"Is everything okay?" he asked, hearing the panic in my voice.

"I think Collin is in trouble. We were talking on the phone and he said that something came up and" I couldn't complete my sentence, I was now crying too hard.

"I'm going to go find him now, here's Emily."

Emily was passed the phone, "Carolyn dear, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little scared." I told her. Another bolt of lightning flashed, accompanied by a roar of thunder. I yelped and tensed.

"Carolyn?"

"I-I'm okay. I just don't like thunderstorms."

"Are you at home?"

"No, I'm at the animal shelter."

"Why don't you go comfort the animals, I'm sure they're terrified too."

"Will you stay on the phone?" I asked, feeling pathetic but needing someone to talk to.

"Of course."

I sniffed, "Thanks, Emily."

The wind howled outside, the tree that had been struck earlier fell. The tree collided with the power lines, the lights flickered and went out. The line was dead. The dogs began to bark loudly. I ran out the back door (the front was too dangerous to take) and rain into the rain. The wind blew my hair into my face and I brushed the wet strands away. I ran a few blocks and didn't stop until I reached my car. I thought about entering my apartment and changing out of my wet clothes, but if Jade was there she wouldn't let me see Collin. I unlocked the car and got inside. It felt chilly. My teeth were chattering and I was shivering. I started the car and drove.

I called Sam's house again and Emily picked up. "Em-Emily, I'm head-ding over th-there." I said, but then added, "If that's o-okay?" I didn't want to sound rude.

"You're welcome over anytime, Carolyn."

"You're the g-greatest, Emily."

Emily chuckled, but then stopped. "You've got bad reception."

"N-no, that's just my t-teeth chat-tering."

"Oh, Carolyn you didn't go out in this weather, did you?"

"I h-had to get to my car s-somehow."

"You do have a coat on, right?"

I looked down, "I f-forgot it."

Emily sighed, "Just make sure that you turn on the heat when you get in the car.."

"I'm already in the c-car."

"Just drive safely."

"Has Sam told you anything yet?"

"No, he hasn't." Emily said, her voice full of anxiety and worry. Maybe me calling was helping her too, and that made me feel better about relying on her company. We talked for a long while and then she said that she had to go and but she'd call me right back. I closed the phone and set it down on my lap. I turned onto the exit ramp that lead to Forks. My phone vibrated, I saw that it was Emily calling on the Caller-ID. I answered the phone, "What's going on?"

"They found Collin. We're heading over to Jake's house."

"Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine in a couple of days, don't worry."

"Okay."

Then Emily gave me the directions to Jake's house. I thanked her and then hung up when she said that she had to go. I followed her directions, passing through Forks and entering La Push, I passed a house on the way that was burnt down to the ground that still had some smoke coming from it. I then passed a familiar jeep and slammed on the brakes. I jumped out of the car -getting my damp clothes soaking once more-, and sure enough there was a large fang hanging down from the rear-view mirror. It was Collin's jeep. I looked at the house and realized that it was Collin's. I ran over to the heap of wood. I noticed that pieces looked out of place, and saw footprints in the mud. Collin must have been inside! I ran over to my car and hopped inside. I drove over to Jakes with more desperation to see Collin than before. I passed a black BMW on the way, which struck me as odd -who the heck could afford one of those? When I pulled into Jake's driveway, I saw another expensive looking car. I guess expensive cars weren't really all that uncommon. I parked the car, turned off the ignition and towards the house. I saw a huge figure jump out of the house and I screamed, my nerves still raw from seeing Collin's house burnt to the ground. A russet wolf looked at me, and then I realized it was just Jacob.

"You scared me!" I hissed.

He gave me a wolfy grin and rolled his eyes. I was about to give him a piece of my mind, when his ears perked up in the direction of the house. Jacob was suddenly gone -blending in with the trees.

The front door of the house opened, revealing the one person I wanted to see. Collin. I noticed that his hair was shorter, and he seemed a little paler. I felt a wave of relief; he was okay and in one piece. A pretty woman stood behind him, she looked to be in her mid-thirties. She stayed in the doorway while Collin rushed towards me. I gave him a hug, but not a tight one -I still didn't know the extent of his injuries. Werewolf or not, I was pretty sure that he had gotten hurt. He wrapped his arms around me in return. He was felt warm and he smelled good; I had no intention of letting him go.

"Carolyn, you're freezing!" he said in surprise and released me.

"Sorry." I mumbled and let him go. There went my intentions.

"Come on, let's get you inside."

I nodded. He took my hand and led me inside. The woman in the doorway looked very surprised while she watched the two of us. She stepped aside and let us in and shut he door behind us.

"I'm gonna go get a towel for you. Um, just take a seat. 'Kay?"

I nodded. I watched him leave. I turned to the woman who was evaluating me. "Uh, hello. I'm Carolyn" I told her, giving her a smile.

She smiled back and held out her hand, I took it. "I'm Collin's mom, call me Gianna."

"It's very nice to meet you." I said, my smile getting bigger. I released Gianna's hand as she released mine. I really was happy to meet her, I was always curious why Collin never mentioned his family; it was nice to know that he didn't lose his parents. We entered the living room and sat down on the couch.

"So how long have you two been dating?" Gianna asked casually.

My face began to heat up and I knew that I was blushing, but to make things worse -Collin entered the room at that moment. He had heard what she asked. Was he going to have me respond or was he going to tell her for me? Were we technically dating? I hoped the answer was yes.

"Mom, you've only known her for a few seconds and you start interviewing her?" Collin asked.

Gianna chuckled, "Of course."

"Why?"

"She's apart of your life, is she not?"

Collin sighed and wrapped the towel around my shoulders and sat next to me. I leaned against him; he was comfortable and his warm temperature relieved my chills. I felt him tense. I quickly stopped putting my weight against him, and leaned forward so there was about an inch of space between us. I turned to look at him. He was puzzled. He didn't know why I had suddenly stopped leaning against him. "I'm sorry." I mumbled.

Collin looked confused.

"I shouldn't have leaned against you."

"What are you talking about?"

I looked at him straight in the eye, "You're hurt."

Collin looked surprised, but then said, "It's not that bad. Don't worry about me."

"Collin, you told me that you weren't hurt," said Gianna, looking upset.

"I didn't want you to worry."

"What's the damage?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be as good as new in a few days."

"Collin, tell me."

"Mom, the doctor said that all I needed was to relax and not get too active."

"What's the damage?" she asked again.

Collin sighed, "Mom, I'll explain things to you later. I can't tell you right now but you need to trust me on this one, okay?"

Gianna looked at him for a moment and then nodded. Collin let out a sigh of relief and then wrapped an arm around me and pulled me so I was leaning against him. I felt embarrassed with Gianna in the room, but Collin looked completely at ease, so I didn't mention anything.

"Does Jade know you're here?" Collin asked me.

"Mm-mm."

"She's gonna freak when you're not at the animal center."

"She'll live."

Collin and I started to crack up laughing at my words (I mean, come on -Jade's already dead). Gianna looked confused. Eventually we calmed down.

A man in a wheelchair rolled into the room at the commotion. "Having a party without me?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with humor.

"Billy, this is Carolyn. Carolyn, this is Billy -Jake's dad."

"Hello." I said, shaking Billy's hand. He had a firm grip, something that I wouldn't expect from an aging handicap, but then again his eyes were youthful.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" he asked with a kind smile.

"No, thank you." I smiled back. With Collin next to me, I'll be needing an ice cold Cola in a few minutes. "Actually, I should get going. It'll be a long drive to get home."

Collin gave me a pouting look through his eyes, but he removed his arm from around me. I stood up -he did too- and gave Gianna and Billy a parting smile. I took off the towel, folded it and set it on the couch's arm. I left the house, with Collin following. The rain had become a light drizzle, so I didn't get soaked. Collin opened the car door for me, like the gentleman he was. I smiled and was about to get in the car when an irrational urge came over me. I wanted to be near Collin. I wanted his lips on me, and I wanted to forget everything else. I turned back to Collin, with a coy smile. I motioned for him to get closer, as if I was going to tell him a secret. "I love you too." I whispered.

I then kissed him on the lips.

I nearly went into shock when he gently kissed me back; it was the most amazing feeling in the world. It was like I was complete. Everything else besides Collin became insignificant. I never wanted to leave him, to part from him. My heart was now in a fast, irregular beat and my mind was pleasantly blank. I was about to wrap my arms around him to pull myself closer to his body and deepen the kiss, but he had pulled away. There was a large grin on his face, he was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the way his damp hair fell into his face. I loved the way his deep brown eyes penetrated through me straight to my soul. However, I hated that my kiss was short lived. Why did he pull away? Did I do something wrong? I didn't have any experience when it came to boys so I had no idea what I was supposed to do. My lower lip jutted out as I pouted, asking him through my eyes if I had done something wrong.

"You have a long drive left ahead of you," he reminded me. "Good night, Carolyn, love you," he gave me a peck on the lips and then stepped back. I got into the car, thoroughly dazed. He shut the car door behind me and watched me drive away. Collin was a god and I was lucky as a mere mortal to be his.

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**Yay! It was the moment you have all been waiting for. I was smiling as I typed it, and I couldn't stop. Lol. Thank you to all who have reviewed. I love you guys!**

**For those who just put this story on their "Story Alert" lists…please review while you're at it! I would really appreciate it, otherwise I'm gonna have to send you guys a private message bugging you, asking you what you think about the story, honest I'll do it. I've already done it to a couple of you people. Lol. But if you're really against putting up a review, I guess that's okay. I'm just happy that people are reading it. :)**

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	13. Traitor

**Thank you to all who reviewed -you people make my day! If you haven't yet, PLEASE READ MY OTHER FANFIC!! It's called Tears of Joy and Remorse, and it is a Leah imprint story -her partner is not Jacob. I'll be shutting up now. lol. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series**

**-Collin-**

It had difficult to preserve my self control around Carolyn. Especially when she had kissed me, then it was a war between my want for her and my want to not hurt her. But who cares about all of that? The important thing is that she loves me too. A smile was plastered onto my face, and I couldn't stop. It was just stuck on me, making me look like a fool; in which, I probably am one to a certain degree. I walked back inside Jake's house; my mom was watching me with curious eyes -probably wanting to know every detail, which was too bad (for her) because I wasn't going to tell her about me and Carolyn. There were other things that had to be discussed first.

"Ready to go?" I asked my mom. She nodded. "Bye, Jake!" I called, knowing that he wasn't even inside the house anymore. I had to play the part, nevertheless. "Bye, Billy, thanks for all your help."

Billy nodded, "Just give me a call if you need anything. Same thing goes for you, Dianna."

"Thanks, Billy, I appreciate it."

Billy nodded and gave a small wave of goodbye. We returned a small wave back and left the house…

"So, what have you been up to without any parental supervision, these past four years?"

"Only three." I corrected. "Pull over." I said, knowing that being taken by surprise while driving wasn't the greatest idea.

"Why?"

"It'll probably be best to explain while you aren't trying to concentrate on the road."

"Just tell me, Collin."

"You can attend the next council meeting I suppose." I thought aloud, not meaning to share my thoughts.

"Council meeting?"

"Um, yeah. I'm part of a…club."

"Oh that's wonderful. What kind of club?"

"It involves a lot of running around outside."

"Like a sport?"

"Um, yeah. A lot like a sport."

"What is your club called?"

"It has multiple names."

"Tell me some."

"We call ourselves the "Protectors" other people sometimes call us the "La Push gang"." I explained, instantly wishing that I had only given her the first name.

"You're in a gang?!" Mom exclaimed.

"No, Mom. It's not a _gang_. It's because we all look alike and hangout together."

"So is it a clique or a club?"

"Both."

"So, who's in this clique-club?"

"Me, Jake, Sam Uley, Seth and Leah Clearwater…" I listed everyone.

"Is that it?"

"Yeah."

"There's only ten of you."

"I did say that the club was also a clique."

"Then how is it a club?"

I sighed, she was making things difficult. More like _I _was making things difficult, but I was scared out of my wits. She was my guardian after all; she could send me somewhere, like a mental institution or something. But she was also my _mom_, and I had already spent so many years disappointing and worrying her -I didn't want to do that to her anymore. I noticed that me hands were shaking slightly and I took a deep breath to calm myself. The shaking stopped. "Mom, turn right."

"Ah, thanks. It's been a while since I've been here." Mom said as she flicked on her turn signal.

"My life is complicated."

"Of course it is."

"Please try not to freak out on me, okay?"

"You aren't into steroids or anything like that, are you?"

"No, I'm not and neither are my friends."

"Okay."

"Mom, do you remember any of your bedtime stories from when you were little?"

"A few."

"What were they about?"

"Collin, you're trying to change the subject on me."

"No, I swear I'm not. It's related, I promise."

"Okay, then. When I was little, I was told Quileute legends by your grandmother. I've already told you these before."

"They're true."

"What's true?"

"The Quileute legends, Mom, they're true. Werewolves exist."

Mom pursed her lips. I felt the car slow down and park at the side of the road. She turned to me, "Collin, are you trying to tell me that you're a werewolf?"

"Yeah." I said, looking down to avoid her gaze.

She unbuckled her seat belt, and I was afraid that she was going to get out of the car and run. It was a stupid fear because she just leaned over and gave me hug.

"What, no running or screaming?" I asked.

Mom chuckled, "Of course not, silly. You're my son, and I love you unconditionally."

"You're taking this too well."

She let me go, "Really, now?"

"Yeah."

"So is Carolyn your imprint?"

"Yeah."

"How long have you known her?"

"Less than a month."

"Wait how did you know about imprinting?"

"The legends did mention Taha Aki being more attached to his third wife, than the other two."

"Oh."

"So Carolyn is already attached to you?" she asked, wondering how she took to me being a werewolf.

"Well her sister, Jade, is a vampire. So another mystical creature didn't surprise her."

Mom's eyes went wide, "A vampire? That girl isn't safe."

"Ironically enough, she is. Jade is extremely over-protective."

"How old is Jade?"

"Er, seventeen."

"How long has she been that way?"

"I don't know. Carolyn never told me."

"Point being that Jade isn't a very old vampire, not even close to half a century. How has Carolyn survived this long?"

"I honestly don't know. I haven't exactly had the chance to ask. I've only known that Carolyn had a vampire sister for three days." I told her, watching trees pass. "…You know an awful lot."

"I'm actually a part of the council."

"No way!"

"Yeah…"

"Then how come you didn't know that I was a werewolf?"

"I had a feeling that you were, but I was actually hoping that you weren't. The last time I checked, Sam was the only werewolf."

"Oh. Um, then why did you leave?"

"I was living in Italy."

I felt my stomach drop. "That's where the Volturi lives."

"Yes."

"Wait, _we _didn't even know that the Volturi existed until over a year ago. How do you know about them?"

"I…saw vampires and went to go looking for where they lived."

"Are you crazy?"

"Probably."

"How did you keep them from killing you?"

"I became their secretary."

My jaw dropped open, and a shiver went up my spine in a hot flash. I quickly undid my seatbelt and exited the car, not trusting my self control. "I thought you were in Europe because of your _job_!" I whispered through clenched teeth.

Mom got out of the car too and shut the door behind her. "A council member is my job and protecting other's welfare is my job. To help, I went to Europe to learn about vampires, their strengths and weaknesses."

"You could of died, or worse -became one of them!"

"But I didn't."

"Do you want to be?" I asked softly, dreading the answer.

"Yes and no."

"Why would you even slightly want to become a vampire?"

"Because I can't be a werewolf."

"But Leah's a werewolf."

"Lucky girl."

"Why do you _want_ to be a werewolf?" I asked, knowing very well that it could feel like a curse.

"Why _wouldn't_ you?"

A hot shiver ran down my back again, but continued to ignore it, "Maybe the whole "out of control" feeling? Maybe the fact that you could seriously hurt somebody? Maybe because you don't really now who you are anymore? Maybe because of the damn drama?!"

Mom just sighed, "I didn't come here just because Billy called me."

"Why did you come here then?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain smooth and calm.

"I wanted to warn you, Collin. You need to pass this on to the pack alright?"

I nodded.

"A war has begun. The Volturi is going to come here and kill anyone of Quileute descent."

I gritted my teeth as yet another hot shiver went down my spine, "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Go tell the others," Mom commanded, side-stepping my question.

I ran into the forest, not because of what she wanted me to do, but because I was scared of what I wanted to do to my own mother. She was a traitor, I knew.

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**I actually didn't plan on this, to be honest, but as I typed it kinda came to be. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. **

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	14. Lullaby

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews!! You people are my life. Lol. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series which is by Stephenie Meyer**

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**-Carolyn-**

I walked in the door and slammed it loudly behind me. The small living room was quiet and the lights were off. I blindly walked over to the light switch and turned on the lights. I jumped in surprise when I saw found Jade sitting on the leather couch, reading a book. She looked like a model on a magazine cover, as always. Her dark hair flowed down over her shoulder, covering half of her face, giving her a focused-student kind of look. I wanted to yell at her, but my empty stomach made me go into the kitchen instead. I opened the fridge. Aunt Cleo really needs to do some grocery shopping; there wasn't much to choose from. I got out the jelly -a main ingredient for a yummy sandwich. I set the jar on the counter and headed for the cupboard; the peanut butter being my next target.

I ended up making three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I ate the first, the second, and most of the third before I could no longer take it -I needed to confront Jade now. I entered the living room, holding a plate in one hand and what was left of my sandwich in another.

Jade looked up at me, her gold eyes were simmering with frustration. "You weren't at the animal shelter."

"No, I wasn't." I replied smoothly, taking a bite the last bite of my sandwich.

Jade's nose crinkled in disgust, "You smell like dog. Go take a shower, we can talk afterwards."

"I want to talk now." I said firmly, letting a bit of my anger to seep through. I set my plate down on the coffee table.

Jade closed her book and set it down on the table beside her. "About what?" she asked warily.

I walked over to the chair that was across from the couch and sat down. "Collin's house was on fire."

An emotion flitted across her face, but it was gone too quickly for me to recognize it.

"Jade, I swear to god, if you _ever_ try to hurt Collin again -I'm going to take drastic measures."

Jade's eyes widened.

"Just make sure that it never happens again." I said, feeling smug about Jade's reaction. I got up and took the plate off of the table and went into the kitchen to put it in the sink. Jade must have followed me because her voice was behind me.

"Give me your cell phone," she said suddenly, her voice firm.

"What? Why?" I asked, turning around in surprise.

"I want to borrow it for a few seconds."

"Okay?" I put my plate in the sink and fished my cell out of my jean pocket. I handed it to her.

Jade punched in some numbers quickly; her movements blurred. She held the phone a few inches from her ear; not needing it to be close. I could hear the soft ringing from where I stood. It seemed like the person whoever she was calling wasn't going to answer, but then a voice _did _answer, "Hello?"

I knew that voice from anywhere. How could I not? Collin's voice was the voice that I dreamed about having in my ear when I fell asleep. Jade smiled at my shocked expression, "Hello, Collin."

"Jade?"

"Carolyn seems set on taking drastic measures to get her way. For example, when we visited the Cullen's house, she threatened to stab herself with a pen. So, I'm calling you in hopes that you can talk some sense into her."

"Hand her the phone."

Jade handed me the phone with a very smug smile on her face. She knew victory. "I'm going to be going out for a bit Carolyn, so be good," Jade said before leaving.

"Hey." I said into the receiver.

"Carolyn, I don't ever want you to threaten to hurt yourself again," he said, his voice soft but also hinted with what sounded like disappointment.

Tears began to fill up in my eyes. "Okay," I said, my voice sounding small from holding back a crying fit.

"I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. Threatening to spill your own blood in front of vampires is a good way to get hurt…or worse. I know that Jade isn't…helping us, but bear with her."

"But she set fire to your house!" I exclaimed, not wanting to even be near Jade with that thought in mind.

"She's a likely suspect, but we can't prove that it was her." Collins sighed.

"She didn't deny it." I pointed out.

"Did she admit that she did?"

"Well, no she didn't, but"

"-then don't worry about it." Collin interrupted in a soothing voice.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, feeling horrible for being the reason why Jade burnt Collin's house down to the ground.

"My injuries are healing at a rapid rate, I'll be back to normal real soon."

"Does it hurt, having your body heal an injury like that?"

"No, but it does feel hotter around the injury."

"What is your temperature anyway?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Nearly one-o-nine."

"Wow." It was all I could say. I let the information sink in; I may have been used to vampire weirdness, but werewolf weirdness was something that I had yet to adapt to. The new information reminded me of something, "Could you tell me some of that werewolf history that you never got to tell me?"

"I could."

"Will you?" I asked, a smile creeping up onto my face.

"I dunno. Billy is really good at telling it; it would be best if you attended a bon fire and heard the story from him."

"Okay, I'll go grab my keys." I said, barely able to contain my excitement. I jumped to my feet.

"Hold on, Carolyn," he said. I held on. "It is pretty late, and you need your sleep. I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel and crashing."

"Do you really think I'll fall asleep at the wheel?" I asked, not letting his words get me down.

"I really think that it is a possibility. Besides, you wouldn't be able to stay awake even if you did make the drive."

Those words let me down; they were true. Disappointment seeped into me, but then an idea popped in my head and gave me hope. "Couldn't I just hear the legends when I wake up?"

Collin just laughed.

"What about your mom? I could hear the legends with her."

"She's heard them before." Collin said, a strange tone in his voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong, don't worry." Collin's light tone sounded forced.

"Collin."

"Carolyn, you sound like you're going to keel over. You should go to bed."

"But I'm not tired."

"…I'll sing you to sleep."

My cheeks felt hot and my heart began to pound quickly. It sounded incredibly romantic. "Really?" I asked, beginning the walk to my room.

"Yes," he chuckled. "Now go get ready."

"Okay." I replied happily. I flicked on the light and closed the door behind me. "Hang on." I set the phone down on my bed and rushed over to my drawer and found some pajamas. I put them on quickly. I then turned off the light and picked the phone off of my bed. I crawled under the blankets, got comfy and set the phone to speaker. "Okay." I said, setting the phone next to my pillow.

"You're in bed?"

"Yep."

"And you're going to try and fall asleep?"

"You singing will really help the process." I said, still very eager to hear Collin sing to me.

Collin chuckled and then began humming the tune that I had first heard on the beach. _"What is it about?" _I had asked. _"Protecting the people you care about." _Collin had replied. I closed my eyes and inched closer to the phone so I could hear each and every note perfectly. The song sounded sweet, and soothing.

I listened happily for a minute until my curiosity made me interrupt, "Will you sing the words?"

"They're not in English." Collin informed me.

"Then what are they in?"

"Quileute."

I had never heard of the language, but I didn't care. "Please sing them anyway. Please?"

"Alright, alright." Collin said before he began to sing the words. I couldn't tell what the words meant exactly but I could tell that they were full of love, and they were almost sad. I felt myself drift deeper into sleep.

"Good night, Collin. Love you." I said softly into the receiver. Before I went unconscious, I heard him chuckle and tell me that he loved me too.

**-Jade-**

I ran up and down the small alleys of Seattle city. I was an invisible force at an invincible speed, knowing this created a sense of thrill. I reached my destination in less than a minute. I stopped a few yards away from my target. His blonde hair blew in the wind and his crimson eyes bore into mine. David was his usual beautiful self and I couldn't help but appreciate his beauty; he was perfect in every way even on vampire terms he was good looking.

"Jade? I thought you were going to stay with your dear Carolyn while they came into town." David said in a velvet voice.

"You burnt a mutt's house down." I said, getting straight to the point and trying to keep my anger at bay.

"Yes, I thought a warning would be fun to give."

"He went in the fire."

"I didn't think the wolves were _that_ stupid." David scoffed.

I scowled, "He did it because his cat was in there."

"Does it really matter? You sound kind of upset by it, why?" David's brow knit together in confusion.

"Carolyn blamed me for it. She thinks _I_ did that, and that upsets me."

"What do you want me to do about it, Jade? Do you want me to go up to your sister and tell her that I'm trying to kill her beloved mongrel?"

My eyes narrowed. "Forget I said anything. Just make sure you keep away from her."

"Of course."

"Good."

David wrapped his arms around my waist. "You know, Jade," he began. "I think you just need to forget about all of this werewolf stuff for a bit and relax, hmm?" David said softly, trailing light kisses down my neck. I couldn't tell if I was making him do this accidentally, or if he was kissing me of his own free will. I hated my powers.

"Stop." I said, afraid that I was only controlling him. I don't think I'd be able to bear it if he realized he was being manipulated and rejected me. David ignored me and continued to put his lips on my skin. "David."

"Hmm?"

"I said stop."

"You don't want me to."

"What do _you_ want, David?"

David stopped and looked me in the eye. I was sure that if I was human my heart would have jumped out of my chest. His stare was intense and I found that I had stopped breathing. "Jade, I didn't transform you for the fun of it. I only told Elizabeth that."

"Where is Elizabeth, David?" I asked on the last bit of air I had in my lungs.

"Gone. I was sick of her and I really liked you, but I don't just _like_ you anymore, Jade. I _need_ you."

"Do you love me?" I asked, knowing perfectly well that need did not mean love.

David leaned down and kissed me on the lips softly. "Yes, you silly undead woman."

I took a deep breath to calm myself down, to tame my desires so I could find out for sure if I was manipulating him. The problem was that by taking a deep breath, I had inhaled David's wonderful scent, making my desire for him sky rocket. If I had been manipulating him before, I most certainly was manipulating him now.

David grinned, "So you want me to kiss you again, huh?"

I was glad that he could recognize when I was in control of him, but embarrassed as well. I decided to change the subject, "So when is the Volturi arriving?"

"As soon as I take care of a person."

"Who?"

"She's the Volturi's secretary at headquarters. She has information that we need, and in return for that information, she wants to be turned into a vampire." I was jealous. This woman had a choice in being bitten or not, but that wasn't what bothered me the most. I didn't want David's venom to run through anyone else's veins. David saw through my composed face and chuckled, "I don't plan on changing her, of course. Don't worry, love, you will remain my only one." He then kissed my forehead affectionately. "By the way, when is Tanya's coven arriving?" he breathed against my skin, leaving a tingling feeling on me.

"I have to find a place for them to stay, the Cullens are not happy with them or me."

"They won't get involved, you think?"

"I certainly hope not…you better take care of that secretary. I want this war done and over with."

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**That's all folks! Lol. **


	15. Volturi

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight Series

**Okay, back to the story!! I am finally done rewriting -well, there's always my Leah Fanfic, but that'll have to wait. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight Series**

**-Next day-**

**-Carolyn-**

School had always been important to me. Education was what kept society from falling apart…but now it seemed insignificant. It had felt insignificant ever since Jade became a vampire, and even more so now that Collin had come into the picture. How could I think about parabolas and all that when there were vampires and werewolves playing an active part in my life?

"Carolyyyyyyyn, hellooooo?" Ellie waved a hand in front of my face.

"Yeah?" I asked, my eyes refocusing.

"Did you even hear anything that I said?" she asked, annoyed.

"Uh, sorry, no. So what were you saying?"

"Never mind." Ellie said, looking out the window.

"No, tell me. You have my complete attention."

"I was just saying that Ryan's looking good." Ellie said, embarrassed and frustrated that she had to repeat herself. Ellie wasn't the type to be very open about her feelings, which wmeant that she never tried to pry in how I was feeling. With a vampire sister and a werewolf boyfriend, Ellie was the perfect best friend. I was thankful to have her.

I looked over to the good-looking guy (who didn't even hold a candle compared to Collin) that sat across the room. Ryan had gotten a new haircut that really suited him. He was a t-shirt that fitted him nicely, complimenting his figure.

"Yeah. The shirt's nice." I commented.

"You've been quiet." Ellie stated. I could tell by her tone that she had been meaning to bring this topic to my attention for a while now.

I nodded.

"You've been quiet for weeks now. I was hoping that it was just a phase, but it's getting annoying."

"Sorry."

"You aren't helping the conversation."

I laughed, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"So…" Ellie trailed off.

"Do you want to hang out?" I asked with a smile on my face. It had been a long while since I had hung out with Ellie. Collin, the animal shelter, Jade, and mostly Collin had kept my mind preoccupied.

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

"Do you mind if I came over to your house?" I asked, not wanting to have Jade hang out with us. She wasn't even home this morning -and she took the car so I had to walk to school.

"You're welcome over anytime -my dad already told you that, like, four times."

I laughed, "I still had to ask, I mean, I don't want to sound rude or anything declaring that I'm coming over."

Ellie nodded, understanding.

"I can't wait for this class to be over." I said, glancing at the clock. There was a half an hour left of class.

**After school (A/N: take a look at the 1****st**** chapter -it's completely new material. I only put this message here because I don't know if you guys read the author notes that are before or after the story. I hope you are enjoying this chapter so far, please keep reading.)**

I boarded Ellie's bus. I didn't need a bus pass -the bus driver didn't care. I was on enough; he knew that I had permission. I took a seat next to Ellie; we began to chat. Ellie was great; we could talk about pretty much anything. She was the first friend I had made in Seattle, and we were close. The bus ride wasn't too long, so we got off and walked along the side of the road heading towards her house. For once, it wasn't raining and had put me in an extra good mood. Ellie rolled her eyes when I nearly tripped due to the extra bounce in my step. I gave her a playful shove that she only returned. So we ended up shoving each other as we walked, but we stopped when I nearly fell in a ditch -she and I laughed and joked about it though. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur of white. I stopped and looked, unsure if I had just seen what I thought I saw.

Ellie stopped too, "What's wrong?"

"I just thought I saw somebody, that's all."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Carolyn!" a familiar musical voice called. My muscles tensed, my breath caught it my throat. I felt like I had skipped a stair; my stomach dropping. My heart stopped for a full beat and then began to race. No, it couldn't be. Not him. Anyone but _him_. I turned, dreading who I would see. Ellie turned too. Across the street was a blonde haired man, he was wearing a thick black cloak that I knew was to block out the sunshine that threatened to peer through the clouds. His pale skin contrasted greatly with the cloak and it only made him look less human. An involuntary shiver went down my spine. My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to be sick. He gestured for me to come over, a corner of his mouth turned up; he was taking pleasure in my reaction.

I turned to my friend, "Ellie, I just remembered that my sister's boyfriend was picking me up from school today. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow?"

Ellie looked at me, suspicious. "You never told me Jade had a boyfriend."

"I forgot to tell you." I said, hoping that she would drop the subject.

"The cloak he's wearing is kinda creepy."

"Uh, it's his style."

"Huh. Alright then, see you." Ellie said, her eyes confirming that as soon as I got back she was going to interrogate me. That is if there was anyone left to interrogate after David was done with me. My entire was being was telling me to run, but I knew it was hopeless. He was faster and stronger than me, but also a vampire that I didn't want to make angry. I stepped off of the curb and walked towards him, which surprised me that I was able to because by legs felt like jelly. He was wearing an amused expression. Bile covered the back of my throat, I swallowed it away. I took a deep breath and my head felt better. I must have been holding my breath.

"My, my, Carolyn. You've grown," David said, his voice more beautiful than a human's.

"And you haven't." I spat. In the back of my mind I was curious how he even knew what I looked like before I had "grown". Maybe he did see me the night he changed Jade…

David chuckled, "Of course not."

"What do you want?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"For you to come with me quietly."

"What makes you think I'll do that?" I scoffed. I inhaled deeply, ready to build up a scream. I shouldn't have sent Ellie away, he might not have done anything in her presence.

"If you don't, I'll hurt Jade," he threatened simply.

I clenched my teeth and shoved my hands in my pockets to avoid doing anything rash. "Fine." I reasoned that it was a good idea to send Ellie away, this was David after all, he probably would have hurt her.

I followed him for a block when he gestured for me to get in the car. I hesitated, but after a reminder of Jade's safety I got inside. He drove off quickly, making the tires squeal. I put on my seat belt and watched buildings go by.

"What is the closest hotel in La Push?"

"La Push?" I asked horrified. I didn't want David anywhere near the pack. What if someone got hurt? "Why?"

"Just tell me."

I told him. He turned and I realized that La Push was where we were going. "Why are we going to La Push?" I repeated my previous question.

"To meet up with a friend. I need to ask her some questions."

"Then why are you dragging me into this?"

"I needed directions," he said calmly.

My jaw dropped in disbelief. The man of my nightmares threatened me just so he could get _directions_? "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. I'm actually telling you the truth."

"You are ridiculous!"

"Go ahead and laugh."

I didn't laugh. I couldn't laugh -he was still David, the vampire that killed Jade. "You're absolutely sick, you know that? First you change Jade for fun, and now you come back and threaten me all for the sake of _directions_! I hope you die for real!" I screeched.

"I am dead for real," he chuckled softly.

"You know what I mean." I crossed my arms. I had to be dreaming. There was no way that I was actually arguing with him. It all had to be some sort of delusion. "I'm surprised Jade hasn't found you yet."

"She has." David replied calmly.

"What?" I asked, unable to believe that my sister had seen David and he was in the seat beside me still in one piece.

"Jade loves me, did you really believe that she could actually hurt me?"

"She said that she hated you for toying with her."

"I told her that I wasn't toying with her."

"Were you?"

"Of course I was toying with her." David laughed, sending a chill up my spine. "Elizabeth is the only woman for me, but in order to get what I wanted, I needed to get on Jade's good side."

Rage filled up inside me, and I screamed as loud as I could, the sound echoing off of the car walls. David winced. I smiled, satisfied that I could hurt him in someway. "Jade will find out, and when she does she is going to kill you."

David smirked, "She won't be able to. Scorned or not, she loves me."

"What are you going to do with me when you meet up with your friend?" I asked, needing a change of subject. Jade was going to be so hurt that she had been played with…again.

David smiled wickedly, "You'll see, Lynnie, you'll see."

"Don't call me that!" I snapped fiercely.

"You can't stop me, Lynnie," he said smugly. I wished he wasn't right.

**-Jade-**

I waited at the space needle for the Volturi to arrive. I was nervous -scratch that; I was scared out of my mind. The rulers of the vampire world were coming to meet _me_. Meeting me about joining them. Meeting me about the war with werewolves -the enemy of our kind. I was given a great honor. However, it didn't help that our meeting was a tourist attraction; making me hold my breath in order to keep from attacking any poor humans. Venom was thick in my mouth; making me really want something to drink. I saw a squirrel scamper only a hundred yards away; I nearly drooled venom, no joke. I closed my eyes and stayed put. If I were to give in to my instincts now, these people would get hurt. Calm down, breathe Jade -wait! Don't breathe! Don't breathe! Phew. God, Jade, you're such a flipping idiot! Don't scare yourself like that. Jeez.

I opened my eyes again after a minute had past, deciding that I could trust myself. I watched a little boy stop and look at candy -his mother hadn't noticed his wandering and kept walking. Soon enough the little boy was lost in the crowd, unable to find his mom -reminding me of a time when I was human, and couldn't find my mommy. People were passing him with sympathetic looks, knowing that they were unable to help the boy find the mommy that he was crying for. The poor thing's cheeks were stained with tears, snot was peering out of his nostril and his eyes were red and puffy. I got up from the bench I was sitting at (I had been alone because of people's natural instinct to stay away from me), grabbed a napkin, and walked over to the boy. I glanced at the clouds; the sun seemed securely behind them at the moment. I pulled my hood down, wanting to seem as welcoming as possible.

"Hey there." I greeted him, making my voice as gentle as possible. He looked up at me. I kneeled down beside him, "I think I know which way your mommy went, do you want me to help you find her?"

He nodded, sniffling.

"You can't see your mommy like this," I said. I cleaned him up with the napkin that I had brought with me. "There you go, now let's find your mommy."

He gave me a toothy (though he was missing two in the front) grin. I stood up and took his hand; his mom would be easy to find since her little boy was covered in her scent. It didn't take long for me to find the woman that the little boy sought; she had only been a few minutes away in walking distance. I was happy to see that she was calling for him, looking like her world would be torn apart if she didn't find him; it showed that he was a very loved little boy. I handed him off to her and she gave me an appreciative hug (I held my breath tightly), being the friendly person that she was. I gave her a big smile and ruffled her son's hair before leaving them. I pulled my hood back up, seeing that the clouds were beginning to run thin.

"How kind of you to return a lost child," a musical voice mused. I turned and saw two figures standing near the bench that I had been sitting at in smoky gray cloaks; hoods concealing their faces.

I walked towards them warily. When I was at arms length from them, I replied, "I suppose so." I held out my hand, "My name is Jade."

"Felix," said the vampire to my left, who was tall with thick shoulders. His build reminded me of Emmett. Felix did not take my hand.

"Demetri," said the other vampire, who shook my hand briefly. I liked Demetri, he at least was polite.

"The others are waiting for you." Felix said with a hint of impatience in his tone.

"I also have to wait for Tanya and her family." I said, trying not to sound as if I was tired of waiting. All of these humans were making me feel insecure. I could hold myself back for Carolyn and Aunt Cleo's sake, but not for a stranger. Then again, Felix and Demetri were right here; it was the Volturi's job to make sure that vampires didn't expose themselves to humans. To attack a human now would probably get me an instant execution.

Demetri nodded, while Felix sighed.

I sat down on the bench. "Join me?" I asked, not wanting to be rude. Felix and Demetri sat. I caught the scent of more vampires; Tanya and her family had arrived. I saw a strawberry blonde vampire appear into view next to another female who had brown hair. The two saw us and smiled, they headed straight towards us. I glanced up at the clouds; they weren't thick enough to make me comfortable, the two should really have their hoods up. Felix and Demetri stood up, I did the same.

"My name's Tanya," introduced the strawberry blonde, holding out her hand. She was beautiful, maybe not as much as Rosalie, but still good looking. I noticed that she was an inch taller than me. That extra inch gave her a more slender look, and I pushed away my envy.

I shook her hand, "I'm Jade."

"Irina," said the brunette. Her beauty was equal to Tanya's. She was the same height as me.

I shook her hand too. "Thanks for coming -both of you. Is the rest of your family not interested?"

Tanya gave a slight pout, her bottom lip jutting out slightly, "I'm afraid so. They didn't want to upset the Cullens, and I don't either, but this needs to be done."

Irina nodded in agreement, "We will avenge Laurence."

I smiled at them, "I'm afraid I didn't know the man, but I have a feeling that he would appreciate this fight in his honor."

Tanya and Irina beamed at me, knowing that I was right.

"We need to go now." Felix reminded.

**-Time Skip-**

The drive had been frightening; the sun was threatening to peer out from the clouds and neither Tanya nor Irina had a hood to shield their skin. Felix was driving according to human speed limits, and judging from the scowl on his face, he wasn't pleased with it. Suddenly there was a horn beeping from behind us. I turned in the back seat; there was a silver Volvo behind us. I recognized it, "Pull over."

Felix sighed and turned on the turn signal and pulled to the side of the road. I was out of the car before the car had stopped.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" I asked, watching as the group of vampires stepped out of the car.

"I had a vision," Alice answered. "I saw that you were-," she stopped, watching Felix, Demetri, Tanya, and Irina exit the car.

"Hello," Edward greeted coolly, his face composed. His eyes gave him away though; he was not happy. He received nods in return, the atmosphere a little tense.

"I guess my timing was off." Alice murmured, almost too quiet for me to hear.

Emmett tensed at Edward's side; his eyes were on Felix, lit with an eagerness to fight -to see who would win. Jasper elbowed Emmett in a fluid motion. I felt the atmosphere calm considerably. Demetri raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"What were you saying Alice?" I reminded her politely.

Alice looked back to me, "Can we talk to you in private?"

I nodded. And walked over to her small form. I didn't look back, I knew that they were retreating slightly; I hadn't meant to manipulate them but I was glad that they were fighting the Cullens. The Cullens had quickly become close friends of mine. "Go ahead."

"I can't see your future," Alice said, her face revealing nothing. At my surprised look, she added, "Because of the wolves." I breathed a small sigh of relief, for a second I had thought she was talking about me ceasing to exist.

"What's going on, Jade?" Edward asked, his voice unnaturally even.

"I'm joining the Volturi." I said, keeping my mind as blank as possible.

Emmett looked at me like I was crazy. Jasper was eyeing my expression carefully, probably wondering why I was afraid. Alice and Edward showed no emotion; keeping a mask of composure. "Why?" Emmett asked.

"They threatened to harm Carolyn," my voice was barely audible. My thoughts went to my younger sister, so fragile and innocent. I felt guilty of bringing such a danger toward her, and then remembered what I was going to do. She would never forgive me for hurting the wolf pack.

Emmett's face grew angry, Jasper's expression was understanding and sympathetic, Alice looked upset, and Edward continued to stare at me, composed as ever. However, Edward's eyes showed that he had heard my thoughts loud and clear; he was conflicted about harm coming to the wolf pack. They had been comrades in battle -they told me the story- and he knew that if it wasn't for the fact that they were natural enemies, they would have been friends.

"The Volturi is going to take out the pack, and you, Tanya, and Irina are going to help them." Edward said, his voice leaking frustration. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett looked shocked.

"Yes." I replied smoothly.

"You knew that Tanya and Irina would help because of what we told you."

"Yes."

Edward looked troubled, and I knew he was beginning to blame Tanya and Irina's involvement on himself.

"I need to go, they're waiting on me." I excused myself, hating the looks that they were giving me. They weren't sure if they wanted to hate or pity me.

"Are you doing this because you want the werewolves out of the way so Carolyn won't have a werewolf boyfriend?" Alice asked, her tone harsh.

I began to laugh. I turned around to face them and their expressions looked as if they were trying to determine if I was overprotective or crazy. My laughing ceased, and I managed to put a small smile on my face. "This isn't about their relationship at all. I don't care much about Collin being a werewolf, Carolyn is an accepting person and I remember how glad I was when she didn't push me away for what I have become. This is simply a war between vampire and werewolf, and I have take part." My smile disappeared as I continued, the paint hat I had been keeping off of my face appeared, "Thank you for everything. I'm sorry that this puts your family in a strange position…I have to go now. Goodbye."

**End of chapter. **


	16. Storm

**I'm sorry that it took so long to update, I've been working on my Leah fic, which I would recommend reading if you haven't yet. : )**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series**

* * *

**-Carolyn-**

The car stopped in front of the hotel. David turned to me, "It's time." My heart beat quickened. Time for what? To die, now that my usefulness is over? "To go inside," he added, seeing the look on my face. He chuckled, finding my reaction funny. I scowled as I got out of the car; David was already out and waiting for me. We walked into the lobby; it gave off a homey sort of feeling the colors were warm and the decorations were welcoming. The lady behind the desk greeted "us"; more like David because of his inhuman beauty. David smiled at her and continued on, I followed him keeping a good distance of a yard. I didn't want to be any closer to him then I had to be. If it wasn't for the fact that he was faster than me, I would have ran by now.

"Aren't we going to ask what room your friend is in?" I asked quietly, glancing back at the receptionist.

"What would be the point of that when I can find her?" David replied just as quietly, his face smug.

"So the person we are meeting is a girl?" I asked, hoping he would give me more information about his friend.

"Duh. I just said that," he rolled his eyes.

"How are you going to find her?"

David tapped his nose.

I followed him, not bothering to make conversation with him, as he glided across the lobby, up the stairs, and down the hallway. We reached a wooden door with a metal plate that said _028_; David extended his hand to knock. The door opened and he dropped his hand back to his side. I gasped when I saw who it had opened the door. It was Gianna, Collin's mom. Her brown hair was neatly brushed, and her clothes were casual.

"Gianna?!" I exclaimed.

She looked just as surprised to see me, "Carolyn, what are you doing here?"

"He," I jabbed a thumb in David's direction. "Needed directions to get here."

"You two know each other?" David asked, glancing between the two of us.

"We met once." Gianna said coolly.

"Are you going to let us in?" David asked.

Gianna's skin darkened, she stepped aside for us to enter. "So what brings you here?" she asked, shutting the door behind us. David took a seat on the bed, I stood standing near Gianna, not wanting to be near David.

"I'm here to give you what you've been waiting for." David answered, smirking. Gianna's eyes lit up. "In return for information."

Gianna sighed, "I've already said what I know."

"I want addresses."

"Addresses?" Gianna questioned.

"Of their imprints. They're going to be playing in our little game as well," David grinned, sending a chill down my spine. The image of pointed teeth flickered across my mind. Confusion had settle over my brain -what game? What was going one? Gianna went to the dresser and opened up a journal that was sitting on it. She skimmed through multiple pages and then stopped, tore out a sheet and handed it to David. David looked at it, "By the way, how did you get a hold of these?"

"I simply asked Billy. I told him I was thinking about writing to them, to make them feel more comfortable with the whole werewolf ordeal." Gianna answered proudly.

"Is there anything else I should know about?"

"The pack is now made up of ten."

"This will be fun. Pity you will have to miss it."

Gianna shrugged with a smile on her face, "I don't want to wait."

"I'm afraid you will have to because I can't change you here. The screaming will alert someone."

My eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat. A phone vibrated, and I turned to see David answering, "Yes, love?" He listened for a few seconds and then said, "On my way." David shut the phone, putting it back in his pocket. "I'll be back in a minute." Then David was gone, I could feel a gust of air brush against me in the aftermath.

"You want to be a _vampire_?" I whispered.

"Of course." Gianna said simply, sounding as if it was obvious.

"But what about Collin?" I asked, my volume louder.

Her smile faded, her eyes looked sad. "I'm afraid that we haven't been close in a long while now."

"He's your son!" I raged.

"And he always will be. I love him, I really do, but this is something that I have to do."

"Are they threatening you?" I asked, my tone softer.

"No, this was my decision."

"So what did David mean, by the imprints joining the game?" I asked, remembering that I only had so much time before David came back.

"The "game" is a war, Carolyn. Tonight the vampires are going to attack the pack." Gianna told me, lowering her voice.

"Tonight?" I breathed, feeling as if I had been punched in the gut. Panic and fear flooded me being, Collin was in danger.

"Back." David declared. Behind him was monster number two of my nightmares, Elizabeth. She hadn't changed either, except she was wearing the same red cloak as David. "Elizabeth is going to do the honors."

"I'm grateful, thank you."

"You're welcome." Elizabeth smiled. "Let's go somewhere else to do this, hmm?"

* * *

**-Time skip: later that night- **

**(A/N: I have got author's block to the max. I know what I want to do, but I don't know how to fill the gaps in between. So I'm skipping straight to my idea. I'm sorry!! Maybe I'll rewrite it later, but I just gotta get my idea down! Lol. I hope you enjoy it.)**

**-Collin-**

Thunder cracked and roared; I could feel its tremors through the soles of my paws. Lightning flashed, illuminating the thick green canopy above. Wind tore through branches, making the trees sway. I was in the middle of one bad ass storm; to think that earlier it had been nice out. My paws were so muddy that you couldn't even see the white fur; the muck extended all the way up to my elbow, right where the reddish-grey fur began. I continued to run west, my shift to patrol First Beach was going to start in a little bit.

A gust of wind blew from the east, carrying a cloying scent; it stung my nose. Thrill and dread went through me: vampire. I sniffed the air again, ignoring how horrible it was. Shit. Change "vampires" to plural because there were more than one, several actually…it wasn't the Cullens either. My pack brothers' thoughts turned to me full of excitement and worry, but I found that Sam's was more important.

"_Where are you?"_ Sam asked. His usually calm voice was tinged with worry.

"_I'm_ _south of the Quillayute River and heading towards First Beach, the scent is coming from the east."_

"_Hang on, we're coming. Don't engage in battle alone. See if you can lead them towards us, keep your distance though,"_ ordered Sam.

"'_Kay."_ I replied. I stayed where I was, trying to judge the distance between myself and the vampires. Wind blew from the south, then the north; both had sickeningly sweet smells in their swift currents. _"Sam, I have to move west, they're closing in on me! I can't tell how far out they go, so don't come any closer -we'll be in deep if we're all surrounded."_

"_They're pushing you towards the coast. Run around some more to lay out your scent, morph back and hide somewhere."_

I ran in a large circle, crisscrossing through it a couple of times, listening to what the pack could tell me and Brady about fighting vampires. My tongue was hanging out of my mouth as I panted, clouds forming as my warm breath crystallized; I had never run so fast. A shiver of heat went from the tip of my tail to my nose; my muscles contracted, and my bones cracked as they shrank and straightened. I yanked on the strings of my leather pouch, and hastily pulled on some boxers and a pair of cut off jeans. I fastened the pouch around my hips tightly, not wanting it to fall and give me away.

I backed up and ran towards a tree trunk; each step on its bark brought me closer to the lowest branch. Then gravity began to weigh me down, I was loosing momentum fast; my hand shot out and grabbed a branch. My legs dangled beneath me, my toes about ten feet above the ground. My other hand took hold of the limb for more support. I swung my legs to get some momentum going; I then did a pull and push up in one fluid movement. I rested on my belly and brought my legs up. I eyed the branch was on; now that I looked at it from up close, it wasn't all that big. I hurriedly climbed up to a thicker branch and kept going until I was sure that I was out of sight. A gust of wind ripped through the tree, causing my stomach to drop when I was sure for a split second that I was going to fall. I held onto to the swaying branch tightly, closing my eyes -I didn't want to get jabbed in the eyeball. I felt incredibly insecure being up in the tree; a branch could break at any moment, I wasn't exactly lightweight.

The vampires were closer now; so close in fact that when the tree branches swayed, a caught a glimpse of contrasting color. White on a dark green -nearly black- canvas. I breathed quietly, hoping that the storm would block out the sound of my pounding heart. I had never seen a vampire with my own eyes before, excluding Jade. I closed my eyes and tried to stay calm, pushing away my panic as the bloodsuckers got nearer. I held my breath. Thunder bellowed and lightning flashed. Seconds passed. The anxiety was torturing me; were they gone now? More seconds passed. I opened an eye.

A vampire was right beneath the tree I was in, and looking up at me with topaz eyes.

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**I'm sorry for the cliff hanger, but I have to start on my Lab report that is worth jumbo points!! Grr, stupid homework!! **


	17. Revenge

I apologize for not updating sooner; I had good reasons

**I apologize for not updating sooner; I had good reasons. I'm going to list the reasons, so if you aren't interested, you can just read the story. Lol. One, I was updating my other Fanfic!! Two, I was studying (when I wasn't procrastinating XP). Three, I got an addiction to ! I've been reading Vampire Knight -it's a kick ass series, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. : )**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series**

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_A vampire was right beneath the tree I was in, and looking up at me with topaz eyes._

**-Collin-**

I let out a shaky breath; there was no point in holding it in, I had been spotted. "Are you a Cullen?" I asked, noting the eyes. Maybe they got a new member?

The bloodsucker's strawberry blonde hair blew in her face, concealing her expression. "No," she replied, her tone full of hate. My muscles tensed at her harsh tone, and my nose wrinkled from her too-sweet scent.

"You aren't part of the Volturi though." I stated, hoping to draw more information out of her. I'd rather not fight if I can help it; it would be my first time. She didn't reply. "What's your name?"

"My name is Tanya, a few years ago, your pack killed my mate," her voice was barely audible over the wind and thunder, abhorrence was thick in it. The wind blew Tanya's strawberry blonde hair out of her face again; revealing a beast that was no longer civilized. She lunged up at me in a quick movement, knocking me out of the tree. We crashed into the ground, becoming tangle of fire and ice. Growls erupted from deep within me; heat ran down my spine and my bones rattled. Tanya scratched at my arms as I tried to get her off of me, her lips curled back in an answering snarl. Reddish-grey fur exploded from my skin as I morphed into a wolf. Not just any average wolf, a wolf that was ready to tear apart a Cold One.

"_Collin! What's going on?"_ Brady asked, being the first to recognize my presence.

I kicked Tanya off of me with my back paw, sending her into a tree. I thought about the events quickly, informing the pack what was going on.

"_That's messed up." _Embry commented

There was a crunching sound and the tree toppled over. I quickly rolled to my feet (paws?) and glanced around, preparing myself to fight any more of these damn creatures of the walking dead. There were no more in sight. _"I bet she's an ally of the Cullens."_ Quil said. _"I mean, her eyes were gold."_

"_Where did they go?"_ Jake wondered.

"_Probably trying to surround us."_ Paul replied.

"_Get into pairs."_ Sam ordered. _"You'll have a better chance than if you're single."_

Are you guys still- I dodged a blow from Tanya -coming? It'll be easier for them to surround us if- I counterattacked with a fist into her abs of stone, making her double over -you don't come.

"_Are you kidding me? Are you seriously asking us_ not _to come to- dodge!" _I dodged as Brady said, avoiding a punch in the face. "-_ your rescue_?" Brady finished. I moved to attack her, but then jumped back when she nearly kicked my leg.

"_We are coming: we are-." _I lunged and took a chunk out of Tanya's shoulder; she didn't seem very effected because she socked me in the side of the head. "-_not going to abandon you."_ Sam said, his tone firm. My vision blurred and spun from the contact.

"_We can't let you have all of the fun."_ Jared said. Tanya took advantage of my vulnerable state and performed a roundhouse kick into left side, which made a horrible crunching sound, sending me off of my feet and skipping on the ground's surface like a stone on water. I let out a whine; that really _hurt_!

"_Are you okay?"_ Seth asked worriedly.

I just got kicked by a fucking Cold One, what the hell do you think?

"_Don't need to take it out on him!"_ Leah defended.

I was about to apologize but Tanya was already waiting for me when I landed, grabbing the scruff of my neck. I tried to twist out of her grip, which made my side feel like I was sticking it with daggers, but she had a firm grip on me.

"_Claw at her!"_ Paul yelled -even though the volume was unnecessary. Tanya wrapped an arm around my throat in attempt to crush my windpipe. I whimpered, and tried to do as Paul said, but she only moved out of the way. I jerked around trying to loosen her hold, she held on tighter. I finally jumped forward, pulling Tanya off of her feet with me; it then became a rodeo. The pack chuckled at the ridiculously of it, I probably would have too if I was able to breathe. I jerked to the sides, jumped around, rolled on the ground; finally I knocked her off by slamming her into a tree. The tree ripped out of the ground; its roots exposing themselves. Tanya hit the ground and got back up again, ready to make another attack. I was coughing, keeping my eyes on her. She moved, I tensed, and then she stopped suddenly.

A horrid grin appeared on Tanya's face, "I have a better idea."

I stared at her cautiously.

"I'll just get your imprint killed. Mate for mate."

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**I'm so sorry!! I don't mean to leave off here, but I have author's block. I'm not sure how I'm going to carry out my plan -but don't worry, I'm sure I'll come up with it soon!!**


	18. Just the Beginning

**I am ****dedicating this chapter to Bible Chick and Rockin Ace**** -thank you so much for keeping up with my story!! : ) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series.**

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"_I'll just get your imprint killed. Mate for mate."_

**-Collin-**

My stomach dropped and I felt my world freezing over and crashing down. I didn't register the thoughts of my pack brothers. Not Carolyn. Not her. An image of Carolyn's heart shaped face and ocean blue eyes flashed across my mind; she was smiling happily, her light brown hair was up in its usual ponytail -loose strands falling down. Carolyn was too great to be taken out of this world. I felt a surge of protectiveness crash into me; there was no way that I was going to let Carolyn get hurt! I tackled the leech and started to tear at her with my sharp teeth, the sound of growls flowed from my throat like a raging river. All of a sudden, I was flying through the air and crashing into the ground; the collision making my ribs scream.

"Are you okay, Tanya?" a female voice asked.

"Yeah, thanks for that, Irina." Tanya replied.

I rolled to my feet, ignoring the pain. There was a new bloodsucker standing beside Tanya, she had brown hair that cut off at her shoulder. I saw, in disgust and horror, that Tanya was putting herself back together, getting rid of all the progress that I had made.

"_Don't just stand there, do something!"_ Jared reminded me. I dashed forward.

"I think that just killing the imprints is stupid." Irina confided in Tanya, making me stop in my tracks. "I mean, I know that any of them could bring the next generation of werewolves to life, but does it have to be so…quick? The pack should suffer for what they did to Laurent."

A growl ripped from my throat, my fur stood on end. Fear crashed into me like tsunami; Irina had used plural, "imprint_s_" That meant that Carolyn wasn't the only one that was targeted. Emily. Kim. Claire. They too were snared into this war. My head was suddenly filled to its limits with chaos; my pack brothers heard and weren't taking it so well, not that I expected them to.

Tanya smiled at the sound of my growl. "Even if you do kill us, pup, they would still die. Don't worry; I have a much better idea. I'll give you a chance to save your little girlie. You just have to kill all of the other imprints."

The chaos in my head became louder. _SHUT UP! They could be bluffing for all we fucking know! _They quieted down a bit, which relieved my head ache slightly. I pushed my immeasurable amount of rage aside and morphed back into a human before Sam could order me not to. Instead of disorienting, the process of morphing was painful, thanks to my broken ribs.

"I have to see Carolyn first; otherwise your plan is just shit." I spat.

Tanya smiled, "Of course. Follow us."

"Fine. Where are the rest of you?"

"Out finding the rest of your pack." Irina replied coolly. "I bet they were too connected with you to notice."

My frame began to shake, causing further pain to my ribs. Fear and guilt tore at my insides. They wanted to divide and conquer us from the beginning; the rest of the pack would not come to my aid. "The ones who killed this Laurent guy, wasn't me. I wasn't even part of the pack back then, if you really want revenge -you'll have to keep your friends from killing them." I said quickly, desperate to keep my brothers alive.

Irina looked to Tanya.

Tanya nodded.

Irina ran off, her shape turning into a pale blur.

"Keep up with me," Tanya ordered. "I'm going to lead you to where the imprints are. Irina is going to stop our comrades from tearing the rest of you mutts to pieces. You will see them soon enough."

**-Carolyn-**

I was cold. Really, really cold. I wasn't wearing a jacket and I could see my breath form clouds. It didn't help that it was a storm; thunder, lightning, wind and rain. Luckily we were in the forest; the tree provided cover from the raindrops. If David doesn't kill me, hypothermia will. I was shivering, my teeth were chattering, and my fingers were going numb; I tucked them underneath my armpits to gather some warmth. Amputation of fingers didn't appeal to me.

"Cold?" David chuckled.

"N-not at-t all." I replied sourly, full of sarcasm

David chuckled. "Humans are so fragile."

"Why-y are w-we in th-the middle of-f the forest-t?"

The phone in David's pocket vibrated. In a blurred movement, the phone was at his ear. "Hello?" he answered. "Mm-hmm…Uh-huh….what?! Don't underestimate them….alright…if he says so…yes…buh-bye." It was all so quick, I barely caught the words. David shut the phone and put it back in his red cloak.

I stared at him curiously.

"Plans have changed. Get on." David said, kneeling. I reluctantly got on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck in a strangle hold. He shot up and forward in one fluid movement. Cold air whipped at speeds that were faster than sticking your head out of the window of a Lamborghini. I ducked my face into the crook of his cold neck; I wanted to avoid as much wind as possible.

After a few minutes of running, David slowed and then stopped.

"Carolyn!" called out a familiar voice. I lifted my head and saw Emily. Half of her face looked surprised and scared. Her straight black hair looked wind blown. She was also carrying a frightened five year old, who was clinging to her for what looked like dear life. Both were dressed warmly.

"E-Emily!" I answered, I moved to get off of David put I couldn't. My limbs had locked into place. "David get me off of you."

"And here I was thinking that you liked it." David teased mockingly.

"St-top messing around-d." I commanded, getting thoroughly annoyed.

David chuckled and removed his hands from beneath my legs, causing me to fall. For a second I was just hanging from his neck, but then my arms unlocked at the weight. I fell to the muddy ground with a gross _squish_ sound. Emily came over to me, still carrying the bundled up five year old.

"Are you all right?" Emily asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah. Just-t a little-e cold."

"Auntie, who is she?" the little girl asked.

"Are you Carolyn?" a girl a few years older than me asked from behind Emily. She seemed kind of plain, and she too, looked like she had dressed for the weather.

"Y-yeah." I answered.

"She's Collin's girlfriend." Emily answered the little girl's question. I nearly blushed.

"Where's Quil?" the little girl asked.

"I already told you, Claire-bear, he's coming."

"I wanna see him now!" Claire declared, starting to cry. I then noticed three other vampires, looking annoyed at Claire's crying. All three wore red cloaks, but only one was female. The female was incredibly beautiful, reminding me of Rosalie. She had long legs and glossy mahogany hair. She took a step forward.

"Now, Now, Heidi." David said in a soothing voice. "Let's not get hasty here."

Heidi scowled, but did not take another step.

"Aw, Claire please don't cry," the girl begged. "You'll make me cry; I haven't seen Jared either."

Claire sniffed, wiping her face dry. "Sorry, Kim."

Kim gave her a half-hearted smile, "It's okay." I could tell, by the look in her eyes, that she was falling apart; full of worry and fear. I glanced at Emily to see if she had the same look, but her eyes did reflect the same, but there was determination. Determined to stay strong for the rest of us and determined to wait for Sam. Emily inspired me to do the same. Stay strong. Hang in there. Don't break down.

Suddenly the vampires tensed. I looked around, my heart hammering. What now?

A vampire with strawberry blonde hair appeared, followed by a large reddish-gray wolf. I gasped. Emily and Kim turned their heads so fast, I feared whiplash for them. They seemed disappointed, but relieved.

"Collin, where are the others?" Emily asked.

My breath caught in my throat. It was Collin! I ran towards him, finding new strength to do so. Collin walked over to me cautiously and reached me in a few strides. He nuzzled me with his cold nose; his breathe was hot, tickling my skin.

"Auntie, he's going to eat her!" Claire wailed.

"Ah, Collin that tickles!" I laughed, running my hands through his soft yet rough fur. The heat he emitted burned my cold skin; reviving it too quickly. I didn't care; I wrapped my arms around his neck. Claire must have calmed down, because I didn't hear anymore from her. I felt my heart skip a beat, and then another. Black dots appeared in my vision and then the darkness grew, blinding me. "I'm so glad you're okay." I managed to whisper before loosing consciousness.

**(A/N: Luckily I have a plan (sort of), so I won't end the chapter here! Oh, and he phased back into a wolf to follow Tanya.)**

**-Collin-**

Carolyn's cold arms suddenly slid away from my neck. I grabbed Carolyn's shirt with my teeth before she fell to the ground. I whined loudly. Kim ran over, as did Emily -who was holding Claire-. Emily set Claire down and helped Kim pull Carolyn up so that her weight didn't strain the fabric of her shirt, which was good because I didn't want my sharp teeth to tear it. I turned to face the vampires and growled at them. I could hear the packs worried thoughts: _hypothermia…bloodsuckers did something to her…_

"You warmed her body too quickly, causing her heart to stop," a blonde vampire said coolly, as if this happened all the time.

No! My world was collapsing; everything I had lived for was crumbling to pieces. Dark emotions ripped at my heart, sending anything that could possibly save me away. I howled, simply because I couldn't scream in this form. I heard Claire begin to cry at my feet, so I stopped. I leaned down and licked Claire's cheek gently, hoping to console her. This little girl was Quil's world, after all and causing him pain would be cruel. I then heard answering howls coming from different directions, as well as their sympathizing thoughts in my head.

I then heard a wonderful sound; Carolyn breathed in. I turned in time to watch her ribcage fall back down. I was alive again. My structure was rebuilt. The dark emotions were blinded, they were sent back to the shadows of my heart. I didn't make a move to get closer to her, afraid that my ridiculously high temperature would hurt her again. Emily and Kim huddled close, keeping her warm but not too warm. The pack's thoughts turned to relief; not only were their imprints safe, but mine as well. Where are you guys?

"_We're getting pretty close."_ Jake responded.

"_Yeah, we'll see you in a few."_ Brady said, sounding happy. I heard a howl that was only three hundred yards away. I chuckled, Brady is a goof.

"_Stay alert."_ Sam reminded, interrupting Brady's response. _"This is just beginning."_

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**Thank you so much for all the reviews!! I love you all!! I gotta go now and study for Chemistry. : (**


	19. Battle of Brothers

**I know I told many of you that I would be updating soon, but events happened. I'm sorry, but I hope that you guys will enjoy this chapter, late or not. :) And I have two fitting quotes for this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character from the Twilight Series.**

"_**Love is everything it's cracked up to be…It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for." **_**-Erica Jong**

"_**A woman can forgive a man for the harm he does her…but she can never forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account"**_** -W. Somerset Maugham **

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"_Stay alert."_ Sam reminded, interrupting Brady's response. _"This is just beginning."_

**-Collin-**

I felt a wave of relief wash over me when I saw my pack brothers' outlines. Lightning flashed, only illuminating them for a brief second.

Brady ran up to me (it was amusing to see that the vampires tensed) and playfully nudged me with his shoulder, _"That's for calling me a goof."_ I noticed that he had a scrape near his ear. _"It's my battle scar."_

I rolled my eyes. Thunder roared. I then saw an image flicker across my mind; the vampires were holding onto Emily, Kim, Claire, and Carolyn. I turned and growled low in my throat, my coat of fur standing on end. Brady and the rest of the pack echoed me. Claire was struggling in the single vampire female's pale arms, trying to get free; her face wet with tears. It was a heart-wrenching sight. It was torture for Quil, but he remained next to Jacob, keeping up the triangle formation. Emily and Kim stood motionless, knowing that it was futile trying to escape. That was even worse. The worst of all was that Carolyn was unconscious in the blonde vampire's arms. I lied, that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the vampires now outnumbered us; it was nearly a thirty to ten ratio.

"You dogs are going to be playing a fun game." Irina began, her golden eyes darkened with hate. Her voice was difficult over the howling wind. We turned to her in unison, anticipating what she would say next. "Since you're all here, it wouldn't be fair for us to just kill them. So you are going to fight amongst yourselves, whoever wins will get their imprint spared. Any questions?"

"What about the ones that don't have imprints?" the blonde vampire holding Carolyn asked.

"They'll have to choose who to help; they'll be pawns, David, pawns." Irina answered simply, a horrid grin on her face.

"So when it's just the dog with the imprint and his pawns left, he'll have to kill his pawns?" the female vampire asked, a glint in her eyes.

"Of course, Heidi. The survivor keeps his imprint, that's all there is to it." Tanya replied for Irina, wearing an identical grin.

Heidi and David smiled, excited for the event that was about to start.

Me and the my pack brothers exchanged worried glances. We were going to have to kill each other. All but one of us was going to die.

"Don't you even _think_about it, Sam Uley!" Emily cried out, tears strolling down her scarred face. The vampire holding her scowled, but had an amused glint in his eyes. "Don't you dare hurt yourselves over us!"

"Please don't, Jared." Kim managed to say through her sobs.

Claire was crying too hard to say anything; she may have been young, but I was sure she knew what was going on. Heidi covered Claire's mouth, halting the loud noise coming from her small body, "I'll crush her skull if you all don't shut up; I swear I will."

Quil let out an agonized whine; his tail curled between his legs in defeat. Emily bit her lip, her strength fading away; the look of helplessness in her tear filled eyes. Thunder cracked and the wind roared, making the trees sway.

"Or you could bite her." David suggested with a smile.

Quil howled; he was at his breaking point. We were close to breaking with him. Heidi laughed. "She would make a nice snack," she taunted.

I growled; my lips curled back, exposing my sharp fangs.

"Now, now," said David. "We're giving you a chance to keep one of these lovely women -and girl- alive. You don't want to ruin those chances, do you?"

I stopped growling and hide my teeth. I looked to Sam.

Sam nodded.

Quil, Jared, and I distanced ourselves from our positions. Knots of worry tangled up inside my mind; I wasn't the only one worried though. It was up to me to keep Carolyn alive, and anyone else who was willing to help. Me, Jared, and Quil waiting anxiously for the pack to make their decision.

Embry went to Quil's side.

Paul went to Jared's side.

Brady went to my side. I was relieved that I wouldn't have to go through this alone, as selfish as that was.

Leah stayed with Sam.

Seth stayed with Sam.

All that was left was Jacob. We could feel his conflict: he wanted to help Sam, owing him for all of the help, he wanted to help Quil, being one of his best friends, he wanted to help Jared, and he wanted to help me, he wanted the "vampire girl" to choose the wolf for once. We told him that whoever he chose, none of us would hold it against him. Jacob's russet form walked over to Quil.

Quil had three (including himself).

Jared had two.

I had two.

Sam had three.

I had the largest disadvantage. Brady and I were the youngest and had little fighting experience. Jared had Paul, who had the most experience when it came to fighting. Quil had one more person than Jared and I. Not only that, but he had Jacob; who was naturally talented at being a werewolf and the second largest. Sam also had one more person than me and Jared. He was the biggest out of all of us and probably the smartest. Sam was also Alpha; it will be difficult to withstand going against him. Could Sam order us not to fight? The rest of us were doomed if he decided to…this was about saving Emily, there was a good chance. Wind swirled around us, as if it was giving us support. Thunder roared, sounding more distant; the storm was beginning to pass. Its sound echoed off of the mountains.

In a silver flash, Paul was aiming for my throat. I dodged his jaws just in time only because his thoughts gave him away. I felt betrayed for a split second, but then I remembered that this was a fight to the _death_. You couldn't afford to give sympathy. Brady rammed into Paul, in my defense, knocking him into a tree. Jared jumped over Brady and managed to tackle me to the ground, causing my healing ribs to throb. A growl reverberated from deep in our chests as we clawed and snapped at each other. Brady, darted away from Paul and collided into Jared. I got to my feet, only to be slammed back down on the ground by Paul. I caught a glimpse of Sam fighting Jacob, Leah versus Embry, and Seth versus Quil. Hell was breaking loose.

I kicked Paul hard in the underbelly with my hind leg; he tumbled off. I quickly got to my feet and jumped back, knowing that Paul would skillfully counterattack if I didn't put some space between us. You can't win a fight with defense only, Collin! Toughen up! Paul subconsciously agreed with me I lunged as Paul stood up, which was a mistake because Paul side stepped, turned, and bit down on my shoulder blade. I tried to twist out of his grip but he was strong and his weight was mostly on my back. I turned my head and snapped my jaws on his ear. Paul shook his head roughly, his sharp teeth tearing deeper into me and loosening my hold on his ear. Paul then shifted his weight off of me; his teeth pulled me with him, making me loose my balance. Paul took advantage and put all of his weight on me, causing me to fall sideways onto wet grass. Paul released my shoulder so he could attack my vital points.

Paul sank his teeth into the side of my neck, _"I'm so sorry, Collin. God, I'm so sorry." _He shook his head again vigorously, causing me to yelp from pain.

"Collin!" a voice screamed.

**-Carolyn- **

I had woken up to the horrid sound of snarling, to find that wolves were fighting each other. My stomach dropped to my feet and fear dug a hole in my chest. Please let Collin be okay! My eyes searched frantically for reddish-gray fur. I spotted Collin in the jaws of a silver wolf, in pain.

"Collin!" I screamed. I made a move to run towards him but David had his arm snared around my waist, keeping me in place. "Let me go!" I yelled at him, tears blurring his pale face.

"Even if I did, what do you plan on doing? Kick him in the leg? There's nothing you can do, Lynnie."

"Don't call me that!" I hissed. I struggled to get out of his hold, knowing that it was futile. "Get your fucking hands off of me!"

Emily and Kim watched me with helpless looks, their eyes red from crying themselves. The other vampires didn't pay any attention to me; their eyes were on the battle.

David chuckled at my struggling, "Oh c'mon Lynnie, don't be like that."

I only struggled harder, hoping I could somehow slip through his hold. David tightened his hold around my waist like steel. "Maybe I should take you into my world, I bet Jade would just _love _that," he murmured against my neck, his cold breath sending chills down my spine. My breath caught in my throat, terrified that if I moved he would truly bite me. I wanted to believe that this was all a really bad nightmare, but I knew that I wasn't so creative as to add wolves that I've never seen before. My heart was pounding and I was hyperventilating. I felt his teeth on my skin and I screamed louder than I had ever screamed before.

Suddenly there was an explosion of sound behind me, sounding as if to boulders had crashed against each other. I began to fall, but strong hands caught me. I looked up, my ears ringing, to see Jade. Her face was distorted in anger, a growl ripping from her throat. "I warned you what would happen if you touched my sister!" she snarled, her lips curled back. I noticed that her dark brown hair was wind blown and that she was wearing a dark-gray that looked like David's, except a dark gray.

David got up calmly and looked Jade straight in the eye. "I wanted her to join us, Jade. We'd be a family."

"He's lying, Jade!" I said quickly, wanting her to finish him off. "He's still with Elizabeth!"

"She's just in a sour mood." David brushed my words away.

Jade pursed her lips.

David's eyes glazed over and, to my surprise, began to tear himself apart. Jade pulled out a small container from her cloak pocket and poured translucent yellow liquid on the pile of pieces. It was gasoline. I watched in awe as Jade lit a match and dropped it on the pile that was David. "Burn, baby, burn," she said softly, her face revealing no emotion. Violet smoke rose up into the air.

"I'm sorry, Jade." I whisper, knowing that this must be breaking her heart.

Jade gave me a hard look. "He hurt you, Carolyn. He meant nothing to me as soon as he laid a hand on you."

I was about to thank her, but a growling sound reminded me of someone…more important. I turned to see Collin on his hind legs fighting with a chocolate brown wolf. I felt relieved that he was feeling good enough to stand and fight, but horrified that they were still fighting. I looked back to Jade to see her talking with Heidi, a scowl on her face. They were talking too quickly and quietly for me to hear, especially over the wind.

"Jade!" I called, even though she probably could have heard me even if I had used normal volume.

Jade stopped talking and looked at me, "Yeah?"

"Why are they fighting? Can you make them stop?"

Jade stared at me for a moment and then sighed, "They're fighting to keep their imprints alive according to Heidi. I can only protect you, that's all I am allowed to do."

"Allowed? What the hell are you talking about?!"

"These vampires are my comrades."

"Then what was David?!"

"A problem."

"You _have _to help them, Jade! Please, Jade, please!"

Jade closed her eyed, clearly in pain, and shook her head.

A sob shook my frame. "Please." I choked out, ready to break. Collin doesn't have to protect me anymore -not that I wanted him to in the first place- but I was sure he would be very sad if anything happened to his friends.

"No, Carolyn," she said firmly.

Rage filled up in my insides. "I will _never_ forgive you if they get hurt! Even after I die, I will never forgive you, Jade! Make them stop, or I'll try myself!"

Only my last few words got through to her; she grabbed my wrist tightly and glared at me. "You are not going anywhere. If you get hurt, then your sweetie Collin is just wasting his time trying to keep you safe. Do you want that? To make all of his injuries worth nothing?"

I sniffed, and dropped my eyes to the ground in defeat. Jade was right. "Please, Jade, please. I can't live without him; he's the other half of my soul," I plead one more time, hoping by some miracle the fighting would stop.

Suddenly, the growls stopped. I looked up in surprise, hardly able to believe my own ears. The pack was staring into the forest, frozen.

**-Collin-**

There was something out there. It smelled…wrong. "wrong" was the only way to describe it. It was so inhuman, I couldn't imagine what it could be. My muscles were sore from fighting and my throat was raw from growling. None of us were too badly hurt; it was hard enough to land a blow let alone make it count. We were a _pack_; we weren't supposed to work against each other. Even if we did get hurt, we healed too quickly.

"_What do you think it is?"_ Brady wondered.

I dunno.

"_Maybe it's a demon."_ Seth suggested.

"_A demon?"_ Leah scoffed. I agreed with Leah.

"_What? Werewolves and vampires are real, why not demons?"_

"_Enough." _Sam ordered. _"We'll find out soon enough because it is heading this way." _

We watched and waited, our hearts picking up tempo. Then we could make out the outline of what looked like a human being…a female, judging by the length of hair and body structure. She approached us at a leisurely speed, a bounce in her step as if she was in a good mood. She got closer and we made eye contact. Her eyes were dark; as black as Sam's fur. All of a sudden she was gone. She appeared in front of me.

It was my mom.

The trees suddenly had a gust of wind rip though them; I realized that it wasn't because of the wind, it was because Mom had ran so quickly past them. Her eyes were indeed black instead of the green that I had known all of my life. I let out a soft whine; her scent was disturbing, my instincts told me to run. She smiled; her teeth were pointed sharply. Suddenly there was a cracking sound; a wolf with red fur had replaced my mother. In a movement that I didn't see, Mom had tackled me off of my feet. We crashed into the soil, dirt went flying on impact. Grief stabbed at my heart, the mom that had protected me in my youth was now attacking me. Mom was gone, I was sure. Her fangs glistened for a split second from a flash of lightening before they dug deeply into my shoulder. There was a cracking sound as her jaws crushed my collarbone with their strength.

I then heard one of the worst sounds in my life; gulping. She was drinking my blood.

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**Cliff hanger. **

**I'm sorry, but I really want four more reviews -cause then I hit the 100 mark!! Okay, so Elizabeth died drinking Gianna's blood. Being bitten caused Gianna's werewolf DNA to react (let's just say it was really deep down, 'kay? Lol). Causing her to become a bloodsucking wolf!! Any other questions you might have may be answered in the next chapter, but feel free to ask anyways. I hope you enjoyed this one, as sad as it was!!**


	20. Knocking on Death's Door

**My power was out for a couple of days, so that is why I hadn't updated sooner!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series.**

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_Her fangs glistened for a split second from a flash of lightening before they dug deeply into my shoulder. There was a cracking sound as her jaws crushed my collarbone with their strength. I then heard one of the worst sounds in my life; gulping. She was drinking my blood._

**-Collin-**

I heard Carolyn scream in horror. It was heartbreaking because if I had been more cautious, she wouldn't be in such pain. Bad. Bad. Bad. You really suck at protecting her, Collin. _Gulp. _Black dots appeared in front of my eyes and I began to feel lightheaded. My pack brothers' thoughts were panicked; they had never seen anyone -any_thing_- so fast and so monstrous. I knew they wanted to help me desperately, but they weren't sure how. Sam had ordered, much to his reluctance, not to attack her -yet. We couldn't hear her thoughts even though she was a wolf, making her even more unpredictable. Sam was smart to not underestimate her; she was a thing that was far beyond our understanding. _Gulp. _Blackness crawled around the edges of my vision, creeping in. Suddenly, her teeth were out of my shoulder, and she was on the ground howling in agony.

**-Jade-**

"What a wretched creature." Jane murmured, the trim of her dark gray cloak looking muddy. The vampires in red cloaks bowed to her, just as the ones in the temporary headquarters had. Her angelic face twisted into a scowl directed at me. "How dare you," she hissed, knowing full well that I had just manipulated her thoughts. The howling stopped, as Jane halted the use of her "gift".

"Something had to be done." I say, my voice confident. Carolyn looked like she was going to breakdown at any second. I felt a stab of guilt; if I had left things alone then they would have had more time together.

"Jane, dear, Jade is now one of us. I told you this earlier, treat her kindly." Aro said. His black cloak and long black hair billowed out behind him as the wind blew, only casting him a more powerful look. His translucent skin looked even more delicate with drops of water dripping down his face. I was happy to see Jane pout; she was utterly distraught that she was no longer the favorite. Caius stood out at Aro's right-hand side, with his white hair contrasting against the dark surroundings. Marcus, as silent as he usual, stood at Aro's left; his face still absent of emotion -that is until he saw the werewolves. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. He touched Aro's hand, and I knew he was sharing the information about what relationships he saw within the werewolves. It was probably an intense relationship; the pack being all connected and a few members having imprints.

Aro smiled, "That was _very_ interesting, thank you Marcus."

Marcus nodded and released his hand.

"So what exactly is this creature?" Aro wondered aloud, looking at the red-eyed werewolf. I had switched my manipulation onto her; I doubted there were any coherent thoughts in her head, but I was at least making sure she didn't move from her spot.

I saw Collin squirming out of the corner of my eye and shot Jane a glare, "Why are you attacking him?" I could feel Carolyn trying to pull out of my grasp, but I ignored her.

Jane gave me a wide eyed innocent look, "I don't know what you are talking about."

I jabbed my thumb at Collin.

Jane's furrowed her brows in confusion, "That isn't me."

**-Collin-**

As painful as if was to have had teeth pierce my skin, it was nothing to compared to the venom that coated them. Instead of the burning _heat _that I had assumed would occur when you got bitten by anything venomous, it was the opposite. The venom was incredibly cold; burning the wound on my left shoulder and the surrounding tissue with an iciness that I never thought was possible. It felt as if my abnormally high temperature was making the thick liquid thinner, causing it to spread more quickly as the seconds passed. I began to shiver involuntarily. Then to my surprise, my muscles contracted and my bones cracked.

Brady moved to my side to shield my nakedness from the others (bloodsuckers and imprints). He yanked on the pouch tied around his ankle with his teeth, opening it up. He pulled out a pair of boxers and dropped them on me, his eyes were telling me that he would never let me live it down if I left myself exposed. I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, but I was in too much pain, though I did manage to crack a smile. Brady gently grabbed my right arm with his sharp teeth (only scratching me a little bit) and pulled me to my feet. I held onto him for support as I put on the piece of clothing, somehow managing to not scream. I noticed that the pack (excluding Jacob, I think he left momentarily to go call someone?) had closed in around me in a tight circle protectively, I was grateful.

The movement had (sadly) made the venom spread quicker; it was harshly clutching to my left lung, freezing it. I breathed in sharp gasps, feeling as if I couldn't get enough oxygen. I clung to Brady's caramel colored fur with shaking hands, goosebumps on my skin. My strength was draining and I would definitely fall over without support. Brady let out a low whine and nuzzled my side, accidentally knocking me over. He yelped in surprise and then pawed at my right elbow lightly, I knew he was apologizing. The rest of the pack gave him a cold stare, I could tell they were thinking _"Oh, good job, Brady! Just kill the man, why don't you? What were you thinking? He shouldn't have gotten up in the first place…" _The message was pretty clear in their gaze.

"H-hey, Brady." I whispered. "You gotta promise me something…all of you."

Everyone's ears perked up and their eyes went straight to mine. They leaned in a little more, so I wouldn't feel the need to speak louder.

"Don't let me…become whatever my mom…became." It was hard to talk when your oxygen supply felt low. "If it looks like…I'm turning into…that…you know what…you have to do."

They were about to react, but then they stepped aside, letting Carolyn through. A sharp pain went through my heart, having nothing to do with the venom. Carolyn looked awful, though she was still the most beautiful person in the universe. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and her lips had a tinge of blue to it. Her hair was wet; stands clung together, making her hair look wavy and enunciating the layers in her hair style. Her clothes were soaked, clinging to her thin figure. I was definitely going to hell for putting someone as wonderful as Carolyn through all of this, I deserved it too. I've done a lot of shit, but hurting Carolyn was the worst.

**-Carolyn-**

Jade had finally let me go, and I didn't hesitate. I was at Collin's side in a matter of seconds, relieved that the large wolves had let me near him. His wound was worse than I had thought; it penetrated deeply into his muscle, it wasn't even bleeding all that much due to the lack of blood. His collarbone looked broken in two places, jutting out slightly. His beautiful russet skin was now a sickly pale; he looked like he wasn't going to last. He was breathing in sharps gasps, hyperventilating. He had goosebumps and as I recalled, he never got cold. Oh god, I was losing him. His warm brown eyes met mine, looking sad and guilty. I kneeled down next to his uninjured side and brushed his dark wet hair off of his forehead. His temperature was cooler than normal, I choked back a sob. Tears burned my cheeks as they rolled down.

"Don't look at me like that; you've done nothing wrong, there's no reason for you to feel guilty." I told him softly, stroking his hair in a slow rhythm.

"I got you into this." Collin said in an even quieter volume, I barely heard him.

I grabbed hold of his hand, "I'm glad you did. My place is at your side."

Either Collin didn't know what to say, or he just couldn't talk anymore, because he didn't respond. He just held eye contact with me, still breathing in sharp gasps.

I leaned down and sang into his ear what he had sung for me; it surprised me that I had remembered the words, considering they were Quileute. Never did I let go of his hand, nor did I stop stroking his hair. I couldn't help him at all; making sure he knew that I loved him was all I could do. Although, holding his hand painfully reminded me of when I held Jade's hand -watching helplessly as she joined the world of the undead. Undead…that was what his mother had become, in a twisted way.

"_He's your son!" I raged. _

"_And he always will be. I love him, I really do, but this is something that I have to do."_

I pushed the flashback out of my head. Gianna was now a red-eyed, bloodsucking beast…she was no longer Gianna. I wanted to hate Gianna for attacking Collin, but all I cold feel was the fear that he was going to die. Just the suggestion of never seeing him smile or laugh was agonizing torture.

Collin's eyes closed.

I stopped singing. My heart squeezed painfully and then got torn out of my chest, leaving an aching hollow feeling. My throat tightened and it felt like I was going to be sick. No, please, God no. Don't let him be dead! I clutched his hand even tighter, while my other hand paused on his head. "Collin!" I squeaked, my vocal chords having some emotional difficulties.

"Hmm?" he replied, opening an eye.

I exhaled (I was holding my breath?) in relief. I began to cry. I was relieved and yet very upset. That scared me. I also felt incredibly stupid; he hadn't stopped breathing or anything, which should have been a good sign that he was still alive. I was definitely an idiot.

"Hey," said Jade, who was now standing next to Sam. Sam was tense and looked like he was going to tear her apart. "It's only been a minute and a half, so I figured that there might still be a chance to suck the venom out."

I wiped at my eyes with the back of my arm and then looked up at Jade. She looked determined; she wasn't kidding after all.

The pack looked at her like she was crazy. Maybe Jade was crazy, but I certainly wasn't going to stop her. It was a chance to save Collin. Then I remembered something, "He's lost to much blood for that."

"That's where these come in handy," said a familiar voice. The pack parted and revealed a handsome blonde vampire that looked more like a movie star than a doctor. He was holding up what looked like a first-aid kit, though I was sure it contained more than just band-aids.

"Carlisle!" Jade gasped, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Jacob said one of you needed help," he answered calmly. "Jade, go ahead and start cleaning out his blood." Carlisle then turned to the pack. "Which one of you has A negative blood?" he asked, pulling out two needles connected by a clear tube.

**-Jade-**

I was nervous and scared. I had never done this before, nor had I ever planned to. I was also disgusted. He smelled awful, so he probably tasted awful too. However, my wants didn't matter right now. Carolyn needed this guy. Plus, he seemed alright. I kneeled down on the opposite side of Carolyn, leaned down and was about to sink my teeth into him when I remembered something, "Carolyn, let go of his hand." She opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off, "Just for now, Lynnie. You can keep petting him or whatever."

Carolyn childishly stuck her tongue out at me but did as I said. She stroked his hair affectionately, letting him know that she was still there. A pang of jealousy grew in my stomach; David had never loved me like that. He was a jerk (and a cheater), but I still had feelings for him…I pushed my thoughts away and concentrated on the task.

I figured that there was no point in giving the poor werewolf another scar, so I sunk my teeth into the wound that was on his right shoulder. I felt him tense. His blood was nothing like the dogs at the animal shelter; it was a strange combination of animal and human, bitter and sweet. I didn't like it at all. It just tasted funny…bad, really. The venom was didn't help the taste either; it was sour and gave me the human feeling like I needed to throw up. The blood was also a few degrees higher than what I was used to (dogs were 100-102 degrees Fahrenheit or something like that). I nearly went into instinct mode, tempted to eat the girl (who smelled much better) that was only two feet away from me, but I was able to manipulate my own mind into staying humane. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carlisle attaching Collin to a guy (he used to be the gray wolf with the spots on his back) using the needles and tubing. Red blood traveled from the boy's arm, through the tube, and into Collin.

After a minute, the blood was much cleaner and nearly out of his system entirely. Which was great for him (he was much more relaxed now), but not for me. I had already drunk more than what was in my comfort zone. Not only that, but the blood that was being pumped into him was _hot_. It was burning my throat and the rest of my insides, reminding me of the three days of my vampire transformation. I wasn't going to stop though. Yes, I was hurting like hell. Yes, I wanted to stop. No, I wasn't insane…at least not yet. But this meant a lot to Carolyn, and I had come too far to just quit!

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**I hope you guys loved this chapter. I gotta go because I have to leave for school in a few minutes!!**


	21. Passing of the Storm

**I am a beta for two people: witchbeth and xsoutherngurl08x!! witchbeth is the author of "Reflections in the Silence" -a Collin imprint story. xsoutherngurlx is the author of "A Bond You Can't Break" -an Embry imprint story. Please read them, they're really good!!**

**I'm so sorry about not updating quickly!! This chapter was actually longer, but I'm stuck and don't want to make you guys wait any longer, so here you are!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series.**

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**-Jade- **

As soon as I tasted that his blood was clean, I let go of Collin and jumped back from him. Thank god, it was over! I nearly collapsed; my legs didn't want to work right with the burning sensation. I couldn't feel anything but the fire. I was determined not to let Carolyn know that I was in pain; she would worry and she already had had enough for one day. Collin sat up slowly; his pack brothers all stepped forward in unison to make him lie back down. However, Collin pulled Carolyn into a hug before the rest of the pack could do anything about it. I barely heard him over the wind, but it sounded like he said, "I'm sorry for scaring you. Are you okay?"

I saw Carolyn nod in reply; I couldn't be too sure, but it seemed like she was crying. Crying out of relief. _Happiness_. My job was done, I could rest in peace.

I turned and headed towards the members of the Volturi, some stepped back from me because I smelled like wolf, but I ignored them. Each step was a challenge; my legs were "defrosting" and they didn't want to hold me up. I saw that Aro had an amused gleam in his eyes; I wasn't surprised. Caius looked unhappy. Marcus looked blank as usual. Jane was glaring at me; she was still jealous that I had reached her ranking, I was sure. Heidi was watching me carefully, a scowl on her face. I was fairly certain that she was waiting for me to manipulate someone.

My eyes searched for Gianna; a creature like her shouldn't be on the loose. I was surprised to see her in human form, looking dazed. She was naked and there was blood on her face. Her eyes were an orange color, which I found extremely odd. I looked closer and saw that it was just flecks of red and gold together. Suddenly, I could relate to Gianna; she was alone although she had family and more powerful than she should be.

I walked over to Aro with a calm expression. "You don't have to waste any of your time on me because mine is almost up." I told him quietly.

"Why don't you destroy that _thing_ before you go?" Caius suggested, a scowl on his face.

I pursed my lips, but nodded. I walked over to the woman, grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. I nearly fell over, but I moved her body in time to act as a counterbalance. "Gianna, let's go."

Gianna looked at me, her eyes full of sadness. "I don't get to say goodbye, do I?" she asked softly. I was surprised that she still had some humanity left in her.

I shook my head, "A clean break heals faster. Leave him be."

"But he doesn't know that I love him," she whimpered.

I looked at her straight in the eye, "He knows that you _did _love him. Don't be selfish, Gianna, let him move on."

Gianna looked like she was going to protest, but she didn't. She was quiet for a moment, and then she nodded.

"Besides, you still have to write your suicide note." I half-joked. We both had to leave something so the police didn't categorize us as missing persons.

Gianna smiled weakly. We walked away from the Volturi, the wolf pack, and our loved ones. I heard distant thunder; the storm had passed.

**-Carolyn-**

It felt good to be in Collin's arms; it was like he was melting all of my problems away. Too soon he pulled back, causing the cold air to swarm around me. A caramel colored wolf stepped beside me and bowed its head low to the ground; Collin grabbed a handful of fur on its neck. The wolf raised its head back up, effectively pulling Collin to his feet.

"Ah, thanks, Brady." Collin said, a small smile playing at his lips.

Brady coughed.

Collin frowned, "Stop laughing. Whatever it is, it isn't funny."

Brady grinned at Collin, showing off his sharp teeth.

Collin rolled his eyes and then turned to the guy that used to be the wolf with spots on his back -I couldn't remember his name-, "Thanks for the blood, Embry."

Embry nodded, but his eyes were on the Volturi, as were the rest of the wolves. Collin and Brady focused their attention towards the vampires. I noticed that Jade and Gianna were missing. Jade probably left to get rid of Gianna. I shivered, whether it was from the cold or because Jade could get hurt, I wasn't sure. I noticed that the strawberry-blonde vampire that had showed up with Collin earlier was watching Carlisle with a sad expression, the brunette vampire next to her wore the same expression. Neither of them spoke.

"Why so upset, Carlisle?" a vampire with long black hair and a black cloak asked, his tone was friendly but his eyes dared Carlisle to speak against him. "After all, these dogs are not only a threat, but could expose us at any given moment."

"They can't expose us without exposing themselves, Aro." Carlisle replied, his tone polite but firm.

"They are still a threat."

"They aren't going to go to Italy and attack, they know that you keep order among vampires. The Volturi's job and their ideals are quite similar."

"So you're on their side then?" Aro asked, looking upset. He had noticed that Carlisle was trying to save the wolves. "I thought you were simply helping because of your compassionate nature, but if that's not the case…"

Carlisle chose his words carefully, "Aro, you have been my friend for a long while; I do not wish to fight you. However, they were once comrades in battle and I respect them for it."

"I see. It would upset you if they were to die-?" Aro questioned, a gleam of hope in his eyes.

"Very much so." Carlisle answered without hesitation.

"How's Bella?" Aro asked after a moment of silence. I noticed that his features were relaxed. I looked around to see everyone calm and at ease. Standing by the sandy colored wolf was Jasper, Edward, and Emmett. The calm suddenly made a lot of sense. Edward's lips pursed at the mention of his wife. I didn't see Bella anywhere, not Rosalie, Alice or Esme. Emmett looked relaxed, but that was probably because of Jasper's gift. He seemed like the type who'd rather fight than talk.

"She's young." Carlisle said.

"So she has become one of us?"

"Of course. She and Edward are happily married. My family is now whole."

Edward cleared his throat.

"Ah, Edward, I didn't see you there." Aro turned to face him. "How are you?"

"Very happy, thank you."

"Is Bella eating properly?"

"Her eyes are a lovely topaz." Edward replied, his tone soft.

Aro didn't look happy about this information.

"Does she have any gifts?" the vampire with white hair, to Aro's right, asked.

"No, Caius, she does not." Edward answered.

"Is she still impervious to your mind reading?" asked Caius.

"Yes."

Caius fell silent, seemingly deep in thought. Aro decided to speak up, "Have you changed your mind about joining us?"

"No, my answer has not changed, thank you."

"Perhaps Alice? Oh, but she isn't here to give an answer."

"She is out hunting." Jasper said quietly, I barely heard him even though I was only a few yards away.

"Ah, Jasper! This is the first time that we have actually met! And Emmett is here too, splendid." Aro said cheerfully, looking as if he was greeting some old friends.

Jasper and Emmett didn't seem to share Aro's enthusiasm; they simply nodded.

I heard a clicking noise and I glanced around to see where it was coming from. It sounded close, but I didn't find the source.

"My apologies, Carolyn." Carlisle said to me. "It seems that we've kept you out in the cold for too long." He was frowning as he said this. I then realized that the clicking noise was my teeth chattering. "You should probably go home."

"I l-live in-n Seatt-tle." I reminded him.

"You need to be somewhere warm, but not too warm," he said, looking at Collin, although he was talking to me. "You need to get into some dry clothes, and don't try to warm up with friction."

"Ok-kay." I managed to say, my teeth still chattering. I got embarrassed when he said 'friction'; my mind went somewhere else that had nothing to do with medical attention.

Collin nodded to show that he understood.

Carlisle frowned. "Your collarbone is broken."

Collin sighed, "Go ahead."

Carlisle walked up and put a hand on Collin's shoulder and the other on his collarbone. The wolves around us all tensed, I closed my eyes. A second later there was a popping noise, I daringly opened my eyes. "Thanks," Collin said through his teeth.

Carlisle gave him an apologetic look, and then said, "That bite mark will leave a scar, but otherwise it shouldn't give you anymore problems. Get some rest."

A black wolf trotted up and made eyes contact with Carlisle.

"He says that he appreciates what you've done." Edward translated.

Carlisle gave him a small smile, "I'm very sorry about all of this, Sam."

Sam gave a curt nod. He walked over to Emily, who was still being held by a vampire. The vampire looked to Aro, Aro stared at Sam for a few seconds and then he looked at Carlisle, and finally he nodded, looking disappointed. The vampire let Emily go. Heidi and the other vampire released Claire and Kim. A wolf with chocolate colored fur, as well as a dark gray wolf bounded forward. The dark gray went straight to Kim and let her wrap her arms around his neck. The chocolate colored wolf went straight to little Claire, but didn't do anything after a stern look from Sam.

"Auntie Emily!" she cried, running into Emily's waiting arms, nearly tripping.

Emily scooped Claire up, putting her on her hip. She placed a scarred hand on Sam's cheek. Sam licked her face affectionately, half of Emily's face smiled.

"Carolyn." Collin said to get my attention. I looked over and found that he was sitting on Brady's back; he was now wearing a pair of cutoff jeans instead of just boxers. However, he still wasn't wearing a shirt and I couldn't help but stare at his sculpted muscles for a few seconds. I got my brain to function again and observed that Brady was pretty much laying down on the ground, his head resting on the top of his paws. "Climb on, carefully." Collin said. I walked over, Collin outstretched his hand, and I accepted it. His hand was burning hot; I nearly pulled my hand back, but I didn't. He helped me up onto Brady's back. "Just take us to my car. She's not supposed to get _too_ warm," he told Brady. Brady nodded and then stood up; I squeezed Collin's hand in a brief second of panic. "Hold on to Brady." Collin instructed.

"Won't I hurt him?" I asked, not wanting to pull out any fur.

Brady coughed. Collin chuckled, "You couldn't even if you tried. Get a big handful of fur, he doesn't care."

"You sure?" I asked Brady.

Brady looked at me and nodded.

I took a deep shaky breath and held on tight to his caramel fur; the outer coat was course and rough while the undercoat was soft. I felt Collin lean forward, his toned muscles against my back, as he reached past me and grabbed a hold of Brady's fur. Oh _why _did Carlisle have to say 'friction'? My mind was going to be in the gutter all night thanks to him. My heart skipped a beat.

"Carolyn?" Collin asked, his tone sounded panicked. He suddenly backed away from me.

"Yeah?" I replied breathlessly. I was a little busy; fighting off your imagination isn't an easy task.

"Are you okay? Do you need to lie down? Perhaps we should just walk. This heat can't be good for you…" Collin continued on and on, starting to talk more to himself than me.

"Collin." I interrupted, putting my imagination on pause.

He stopped talking instantly, tensing up, and stared at me; he looked like he was expecting me to fall or something.

"I'm fine. Why did you think there was something wrong?"

"I heard your heart stop for a second."

Brady coughed. I kicked him in the side, knowing that the coughing noise was really a laugh. Kicking him had as much effect as me kicking a wall; it got me nothing but a throbbing toe.

"Um, don't worry about it. Let's just get to your car." At least in a car I won't have to worry about his body being up against mine…Carolyn! Stop it. There's no way. No way in heck that'll ever happen.

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**I made a PAUL IMPRINT STORY so if you're interested, read it. It's called "Unattractive". I also updated on my Leah imprint fic; if you haven't read that one either, I would suggest it (mostly because people seem to like it). It just got over the 100****th**** review mark!! So happy!! ****Please read "Reflections in the Silence" and "A Bond You Can't Break"**** It would be appreciated!! Love you guys!!**


	22. Transitions

**Please forgive me!! Although you all have each and every right to be angry -since I haven't updated since June, I believe. So feel free to express yourselves. I deserve whatever rage you have. **

**Frankly, I am starting to loose interest now that I have a Leah, Paul, and Brady fanfictions on my plate. This story has reached its utmost climax in my opinion, not that there won't be anymore drama or anything. ;) **

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**-Time Skip: ****one month later****-**

**-Collin-**

My injuries have long healed. The only reminder is the two large crescent moons standing out white on my dark skin. One stretches from my collar bone, down my chest, and back up to the end on my shoulder. The second was identical to the first, except it hung on my back.

And then there were the nightmares reminding me of that night. They always started off in my deceivingly peaceful past -back when I was a child and my family wasn't broken. My dad would be talking to me, or showing how to do something when Mom arrives. She would be inhuman when she enters the room, then she would explode into something even more monstrous. The dream always ends before anything really happens; Mom simply approaches Dad, and he looks back to me…as if I had betrayed him somehow. As though he thought I had known all along and never told him. Or worse, he thought that I was the one who made Mom a monster.

Fortunately, I don't toss and turn or yell, so I haven't woken Brady yet. His mom was cool with me -and Ginger- living with them…I can't see how he can find her annoying. Maybe it's because I enjoy hearing about the embarrassing moments of his childhood more than he does.

"Collin?" the most beautiful voice in the entire universe asked me.

"Hmm?" I replied with a smile, my eyes refocusing on her face. I had to remind myself to breathe; Carolyn always knocked the air from me -in a good way. Her blue eyes were clear looking as though they were looking inside of me. She had her light brown hair down today; her burgundy shirt bringing out the reddish tints.

We were sitting in Brady's living room, hanging out. I had the couch with Carolyn, Brady had the chair.

Her face was full of concern. "Are you okay? You look tired."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brady bite his lip.

I gave him a low warning growl, one too low for Carolyn to hear.

He stopped biting his lip.

"I'm fine, Carolyn."

"Would you tell me you were fine, even if you weren't?" she asked, her tone had a sort of bitter edge.

I hesitated.

Her eyes softened to a sadder feeling. "Collin…"

The combination of her tone, facial expression, and my undying love for her compelled me to spill. "I've been having nightmares so I haven't been sleeping well." I explained quickly, wanting to get rid of her sadness as quickly as possible.

Carolyn scooted closer to me and wrapped her arms around my elbow in a comforting gesture. Her eyes were clear with worry, love -much to my happiness- and another emotion that I couldn't quite place. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

I found myself shaking my head. "Not really." I said, the words coming out of my mouth with a conscious of it's own behind it.

Carolyn nodded, understanding. My response didn't ease her worries any. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about it." I heard Brady making gagging noises. I threw a pillow at him. "Oh shut up." He had ruined a perfectly good moment.

He sniggered as he easily dodged it.

"At least I didn't eat paper when I was little." I mocked him. I would have to thank his mom later.

"Paper seems pretty innocent compared to what you had," he retorted, upset at the reminder of his mom's betrayal.

I jumped to my feet, shaking, accidentally pulling Carolyn up with me. She let out a squeak. "Areyouokay??" I asked her, forgetting about Brady's remark. The shaking stopped.

"Yeah," she said, getting to her own feet and releasing my arm.

"You sure?" I asked, looking at her arm for any signs of bruising.

"Yes, Collin."

"Sorry about that." Brady apologized, looking as guilty as hell.

"I'll forgive you as long as you let me finish off the pizza."

Brady laughed. "Which one?"

"The one with the extra cheese, the pepperoni, the bacon, the ham, and the green olives."

"Aw, man, you suck. I was hoping you'd choose the other one."

I felt Carolyn laugh quietly beside me. I grinned. She really has been adapting well. She's friends with Emily and Kim, she'll play with Claire, and she says that she likes the pack members (although Leah scares her a bit). Now that the atmosphere was considerably lighter, I sat back down on the sofa with Carolyn in tow.

**  
-Carolyn-**

It was always relaxing hanging out with Collin and the pack. They were all so close; you could almost _see_ the friendship between the members. Instead of feeling as if I was intruding, I felt like I _belonged_. It made it easy to forget that Jade still hadn't contacted me. My stomach churned whenever I thought about her. How long would it be before she returned? Last time it took her three years.

However, my attention was on Collin and what Brady had said. What had Collin consumed that wasn't so innocent? Why?  
I didn't really know anything about his past, I realized.

I knew only the general basics. His dad died in a car accident. His mom was threw herself into work afterwards. His godmother watched over him until he was thirteen, and then they had a fight and she went on her separate way. He joined the pack not too long after.

And that was pretty much it. He never did go into detail.

I was his soul mate, his imprint, how come he couldn't confide in me? Weren't we going to spend the rest of our lives together? I had thought that the incident last month had put us into equilibrium.

But I was wrong. We still had issues to be worked out.

Learning more about his past would be a great start.

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**Short chapter, I know, I'm sorry. I just need to transition back to this story after months of absence….the next one will be longer, I promise. ****PLEASE REVIEW!!**** That way, I know how many people are reading, hence, letting me know if I should continue. Thank you so very much for reading, despite the lack of updating!! -Kate (Auphora66)**


	23. The End?

A/N: READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!!! IT IS VERY IMPORTANT!

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**-Collin-**

I had a bad feeling about this.

Not because I was about to enter the home of vampires, but because I knew that this trip wasn't going to have a happy ending.

Carolyn wanted to ask the Cullens if they had heard anything concerning Jade.

And I knew from the drop of my stomach, that Jade would be MIA for a long while.

Seth had wanted to come with us and catch up with the vampires, but I told him that it would be best if he didn't. He got the hint.

Carolyn squeezed my hand a little tighter when Esme opened the door. The air burned my nose even more, but I ignored the pain.

"Come on in," she welcomed us warmly.

We stepped inside, still hand in hand.

"If either of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." Esme said warmly, leading us to the living room.

Some of the Cullens were absent; I didn't see the Cullen's fortuneteller or the fighting expert. -What were their names again?

"Alice and Jasper." Edward, who was sitting on the couch with an arm wrapped around Bella, answered. "Rosalie and Emmett are hunting as well."

I nodded.

Edward's face suddenly twisted into a look of…pity? Sadness?

His face wasn't the only one. The rest of the Cullens shared his expression.

"I'm so sorry Carolyn," he said softly.

"So you don't know where she is?" Carolyn asked, her voice cracking.

Edward frown deepened and I saw the hesitation in his eyes. "I'm afraid I don't know where she is."

He was lying to her, my instincts told me. And I was going to let him.

My morals told me that she deserved the truth, but everything else told me that the lie was so much better. I was afraid that the truth would break her.

"Are you sure? You don't have any ideas?" Carolyn pressed somberly.

Edward shook his head.

My soul mate turned and cried into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back. My throat was tight. As Carolyn's soul mate, one would think that I could at least keep her happy. I guess not. I was failing miserably.

How many more times was I going to fail at making Carolyn happy? What if I'm just not good enough?

Esme moved quickly out of sight, and came back with a tissue box and a glass of water. She ended up setting them down when she saw that Carolyn wasn't leaving my side anytime soon.

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**IMPORTANT**** A/N: Should I continue this fic? Vote at the poll on my profile! It will close on June 20****th****. **

**I started working on this a very long while ago and totally forgot (Beta-ing, other fics, school, plays, finals…). And I'm **_**so very sorry**_** to those of you who were anxiously waiting for updates. I want to thank **Dreamcast Girl** for messaging me and getting my butt in gear. **


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